"Every town needs a newspaper."
"I must tell you, of course, that our Spring programme for the White Rose Theatre, Kalispell, is incredibly SECRET, Mr McVey, for commercial reasons, but that we shall open in a week’s time with a revival of “Our American Cousin”
"A week? Splendid!" Phin responded even though it seemed a rather short time, but then he supposed these would be stories that had already been performed on their tour of the territory. Then Arabella continued by assuring Phin she was no relation to Doctor Mudd who treated Mister Lincoln unsuccessfully at the Ford.
“Ahem, oh yes, our recent tour: well, we performed a number of pieces which illustrate our company’s amazing versatility: everything from The Old Curiosity Shop to The Rivals. However, our standout success was our ‘Selections from Shakespeare’ show.
"Oh, well, I would say that is quite a program you've got there and I hope to see each and every one of them." Being polite, of course, he had no intention of forking out the price of admission. The scenery changes must be something, and the set pieces for the various stories, a real challenge to get done on the fly between plays." The editor said.
“Miss Mudd was a big hit with the trappers and the men in the miners’ camps in that.” put in Astin, nudging Phinn “Those fellers hadn’t seen a woman in months, let alone one dressed in next to nothing as the Queen of the Nile”
'Arabella dressed in next to nothing? In Kalispell? The ladies of Kalispell would have nothing to do with that, in fact, not a married man in town would be there for the Cleopatra presentation once the ladies got wind of it!'Phin thought to himself. Of course, the merest hint of nudity would most probably close the show as well as the theater. Not that the company, these Excelsior Theatre thespians were concerned with the restrictions of deportment and taste, they just might find themselves attached to a rail covered in tar and chicken feathers! But then again, maybe not.
"Now that I would enjoy seeing. That would be quite the performance." And he was not kidding.
“Oh yes, Mr McVey at first I was worried that the men would just stare at my bare feet and legs, but my performance soon turned their minds to higher things!”
Now, there was a dyed in the wool piece of fiction. Skin trumps performance every time! "I could see where that might be a concern, yes, a big concern."
“Look, here’s a hand-tinted daguerreotype of me in my costume”
Phin's eyes opened wide looking at what there was of the costume. Immediately visualizing the reaction of the Kalispell Ladies. "Oh, yes, that is very nice. Very Egyptian, to say the least." And that was true. "And that play, would that be the final performance?"
"Mudd? Really?" the young man was obviously trying to hide his amusement.
"That's what she said," Constance was sure of it.
"She seems pretty...posh, dressed up all fancy like that, an' havin' them airs, but..." he shrugged, not sure he should be engaging in gossip or speculation, "she's in th' theater," he whispered, as such a thing was scandalous for a lady! "Says somthin' about a show in town. An' she give me these."
"Kalispell does have itself a theatre but I haven't gone yet,"Constance added.
He pulled the tickets from his pocket, crumpled now. "Not sure if I'll go, don't know when it is, or if I can be in town anyway."
"Hmmm, well if there aren't dates or times on there, you can use them anytime they perform I would assume," Constance took a closer look at them.
"As for specific performances, the theatre has a big sign outside and they'd post specifics once the troupe is performing again."
"I have no idea how good this group is but I used to enjoy going to the theatre back in my hometown in Ohio. I would take my younger sisters as Father would never go, believed it all foolishness. If he couldn't make himself a profit on something, he wasn't interested in it," she frowned as she related that little bit.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Now, there was a dyed in the wool piece of fiction. Skin trumps performance every time! "I could see where that might be a concern, yes, a big concern."
Arabella lay a gloved hand upon his “Of course, what many people fail to realise is that nudity is not in and off itself immoral – it is perfectly acceptable when presented in a context of High Culture.” Like a lot of stuff Arabella came out with lately, it sounded like she was parroting the words of somebody else.
“Look, here’s a hand-tinted daguerreotype of me in my costume”
Phin's eyes opened wide looking at what there was of the costume. Immediately visualizing the reaction of the Kalispell Ladies. "Oh, yes, that is very nice. Very Egyptian, to say the least."
“Oh, I imagine that the real Cleopatra would wear even less!” Arabella informed him airily.
And that was true. "And that play, would that be the final performance?"
Arabella laughed. “What are you trying to imply Mr McVey? That we were run out of town?”
Mr Astin nodded.
“There was one fellow in Butte tried to stop our performance. You know, religious firebrand type. Miss Mudd had to go and reason with him.”
“Luckily, he was a fellow Methodist – once he realised that I, too, was of the Wesleyan Connexion, we prayed together and I managed to persuade him that showing my bare legs on stage was not sinful” she announced sanctimoniously.
“Stupid old…”
Arabella stomped her foot. “No, I will not have that, John. The Reverend Thomas was sincere in his concerns. I made him a sort of deal, Mr McVey: I promised to play a Biblical character on stage in the near future.”
"Oh, well..." Wadding up the already crumpled papers, Justus shoved them back in his pocket. "Didn't see any signs, but I ain't been more inta town than coming here." Maybe the saloon later, but pie and coffee would suffice for this visit, especially of the pretty waitress was...
Shaking that thought, he shrugged. "Reckon it would be somethin' ta check out, somethin' different, but there's two tickets, an'..."
Oh, this was going places he wasn't so sure about! Best thing to do was to change subjects! "There's just a couple more boxes left," he announced, "then I'm ready fer pie! Worked up an appetite with all that heavy liftin'!"
It hadn't been all that bad, but it had been quite a while since he'd left the Rocking P, and breakfast was far behind him, not to mention the trip back. Maybe a full meal was justified, and then the pie!
"Every town needs a newspaper."
“Of course, what many people fail to realise is that nudity is not in and off itself immoral – it is perfectly acceptable when presented in a context of High Culture.”
"Perhaps in the east, but I'd say out here in the small towns and mining camps it's either heavily frowned up[on, or it's met by a raucous crowd of miners." He replied, "I have nothing against nudity at all, or art or otherwise, what I am saying is that the [prude of this community may well object, and heavily to it."
“Oh, I imagine that the real Cleopatra would wear even less!”Arabella informed him airily.
"Yes, I agree, As Queen she would dress as she pleased, but then in the desert of Egypt it would be sweltering, so clothing might be much lighter and probably much less than we are accustomed to wearing.
"And that play, would that be the final performance?"
"In more ways than one, perhaps." It just slipped out, but then dealing with Miss Mudd could never be construed as easy.
Arabella laughed. “What are you trying to imply Mr McVey? That we were run out of town?”
"What I am saying is there is that possibility, the ladies of this town are quite proper. You know how they have treated Miss Steelgrave and she's building them a hospital." He stated, "But then, I could be wrong as I so often am about this town."
"Oh, well..." Wadding up the already crumpled papers, the cowboy shoved them back in his pocket. "Didn't see any signs, but I ain't been more inta town than coming here."
"Well, they wouldn't put up the signs unless they were performing and it seems they were touring or so Miss Mudd said," Constance pointed out, frowning as he crushed the tickets stuffing them away.
Apparently her less than subtle hint had gone right over his head, tall or not. Her luck.
He shrugged. "Reckon it would be somethin' ta check out, somethin' different, but there's two tickets, an'..."
One of her well kept eyebrows shot up.....yes....was he going maybe ask her to ?
"There's just a couple more boxes left," he suddenly announced, "then I'm ready fer pie! Worked up an appetite with all that heavy liftin'!"
Constance rolled her eyes, no, apparently he was not! Looks like if she really wanted to see a play here in Kalispell, she would have to go alone.
"Very well, let's finish it up then," she reached for one of the boxes with a grim look on her pert features.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"I have nothing against nudity at all, or art or otherwise, what I am saying is that the prudes of this community may well object, and heavily to it."
“Oh who are these prudes?!” Arabella questioned the ceiling dramatically “Granny Miggins? Mrs Wigfall? Mrs Wentworth?”
She leaned forward conspiratorially.
“I reckon women like that act prudish because they’ve got something to hide. Always criticising their neighbours’ morals instead of examining their own!”
They talked a little about Cleopatra’s wardrobe, or the lack of it, then the veteran newspaper editor returned to his theme.
"What I am saying is there is that possibility, the ladies of this town are quite proper. You know how they have treated Miss Steelgrave and she's building them a hospital."
Once again, the overdressed little actress bent forward and gripped his hand.
“Oh, but Mr McVey, even a man like you must realise, that’s not prudishness… that’s jealousy! And not just because she’s doing such a wonderful thing for the community, but because she is doing it with such a handsome and eligible Batchelor at her side, and… because she is beautiful!”
“No wonder you always write nice things about her.” She added quietly.
He stated, "But then, I could be wrong as I so often am about this town."
“Oh I know you are…” she sighed happily “… but we all so admire the way that you don’t let it get you down and just soldier on with it!” She patted him on the hand like a misbehaving but much-loved child “I personally can’t wait to see the next thing that you print abut me and then have to retract.”
"Every town needs a newspaper."
“Oh, but Mr McVey, even a man like you must realise, that’s not prudishness… that’s jealousy! And not just because she’s doing such a wonderful thing for the community, but because she is doing it with such a handsome and eligible Batchelor at her side, and… because she is beautiful!”
"You do have a point about her beauty, yes." He agreed. "However, beauty no matter how great, can supersede what she is doing. I'd wage just about any crone could have financed such an undertaking and been treated fairer than she has."
“No wonder you always write nice things about her.” She added quietly.
He stated, "But then, I could be wrong as I so often am about this town."
After a pause he added, "I write nice things about Leah Steelgrave because she earns them, not just with her money and looks but because of her goodness which outweighs both of those. Not to mention overcoming her own father as well as her past. No, it's for no other reason besides who she is as a person." And he meant that. Certainly recognized wealth and beauty, it would be nigh impossible not to.
“Oh I know you are…” she sighed happily “… but we all so admire the way that you don’t let it get you down and just soldier on with it!” She patted him on the hand like a misbehaving but much-loved child “I personally can’t wait to see the next thing that you print about me and then have to retract.”
"Unless I am mistaken, Arabella, I believe that there was just one retraction. Only one." He recalled with a smile.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Unless I am mistaken, Arabella, I believe that there was just one retraction. Only one." He recalled with a smile.
"Oh really, just one? Oh well, I'm sure that on that score you are no more mistaken than usual, Mr McVey" Arabella smiled back. It had to be said that although she liked to tease the veteran newspaper man, the diminutive actress also just plain liked him.
"Oh say..." she suddenly changed the topic of conversation. "... who's been playing the harmonium in church while I've been gone? And handing around the collection plate and putting out the prayer books?" she asked, clearly with genuine interest.
And then a cloud passed over her pale little face "... and please don't tell me it was that awful Dietrich woman!" she added, not even affording the new Mrs Redmond the dignity of her married name.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Oh say..." she suddenly changed the topic of conversation. "... who's been playing the harmonium in church while I've been gone? And handing around the collection plate and putting out the prayer books?" she asked, clearly with genuine interest.
Phin sat back, and blinked a couple of times at the question, clearly not one with that sort of information.
And then a cloud passed over her pale little face "... and please don't tell me it was that awful Dietrich woman!" she added, not even affording the new Mrs Redmond the dignity of her married name.
"Ah, well, that might be Missus Redmond, yes, it could be." He stammered. "You did know that Aurelian married Lucinda Deitrch recently, right?" Then again, didn't Arabella know everything that went on in the town? "But dear Arabella, it is on rare occasion that I darken the door of Pastor Evans's' church. No sense in tempting fate, or a lightning strike." He sort of shook his head.
"You know it seems either Elias or Cases Steelgraves' men attacked the Redmond farm not long ago, not sure you were still in town at the time, but they burned his barn and shot up the place. The Redmonds did manage to kill one of the desperados. Or so I was told."