"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
For the rest of her life, Adelheid remembered vividly the morning that she first met Caroline Mundee. She had been looking after the boy Wigfall and the lad's sister, whom she had at first erroneously judged to be slovenly, had turned out to be good obliging girl, who could be safely left in charge of the patient while she took an invigorating constitutional around the town. For she would be of no use to the lad should a crisis come upon him were she fagged out and stale. A good nurse paced herself, conserved her energy and recharged it when she could. Her late-morning walks up Main Street and around the large tree opposite the church were to become a regular habit during her time in Kalispell.
That tree. It was a large Rocky Mountain Maple. Old. Maybe that is why it had been spared when the settlement was first built. It was a totem, a symbol of luck and hope for the small, but growing, town. It was a natural draw to picnickers, lovers, duelists (when such things had been settled that way) those who sought a quiet place to sit and read, and strollers.
They say that opposites attract, and Miss Mundee and Nurse Armentrout were opposites in every way, but that was not a conscious factor in the mind of the plain bespectacled woman who approached the saloon singer as she walked aimlessly on the boardwalk that fine Spring morning. No, it was just pure attraction. Attraction of magnetic proportions to the golden haired, blue eyed girl; her pixie-like face, so pretty, so fresh; her lips smiling, but her eyes... deep, so much to seek and to fathom in them.
They were heading the same way, Adelheid fell into step with the stranger and tipping her head to face her, simply said, in her prim, unsmiling way:
"Hello, you appear to be headed nowhere in particular, would you mind if I walked there with you?"
Caroline was quite used to strolling alone for her daily walks. There were times when she and Brendan would walk arm in arm, as much to annoy some of the townsfolk as anything. Oh and a couple of times Cabot Flagg escorted her but he didn't get in town much once he took a ranch job.On this day she was by herself, preoccupied in her own thoughts when...
"Hello, you appear to be headed nowhere in particular, would you mind if I walked there with you?"
Caroline glanced at the speaker, some skinny young woman with an awful case of acne, poor thing. Now she did not know this person though she had recently seen her walking by herself also. Newcomer to town she guessed. There was another reason she reasoned the gal was new too.
Caroline smiled, "Well, if we are going nowhere then how will we know when we even get there?" It was a joke, nothing more.
"You can join me, of course," she nodded but then felt compelled to let her know something.
"I take it you are new in town? I feel I should warn you if you don't wanna end up in the bad graces of the proper church going folk in Kalispell, you probably should not be seen walking or talking with the likes of me. I'm a saloon girl, I sing and dance and make nice with the men customers. We saloon folk are despised by the good Christians," she explained but in an almost cheery or at least nonchalant tone of voice.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
Caroline smiled, "Well, if we are going nowhere then how will we know when we even get there?" It was a joke, nothing more.
Nurse Armentrout frowned a little. “Hmm, we won't, but what does that matter? I don’t want to get there. I just like the walking there” she explained, still looking as serious as anything. Nurse Armentrout didn’t believe in full stops, or definite halts or journey’s ending.
"You can join me, of course."
The other woman turned and looked at Caroline.“Thank you” she said.
Caroline nodded but then felt compelled to let her know something.
"I take it you are new in town? I feel I should warn you if you don't wanna end up in the bad graces of the proper church going folk in Kalispell, you probably should not be seen walking or talking with the likes of me.”
“My dear friend… I AM the proper church going folk!” countered the nurse, with supreme self-assurance. Her hazel, not quite straight eyes danced with merriment behind her wire-rimmed spectacles, while her mouth stayed in a definite straight line.
“… but do tell me what horrors you have committed that you are cast out into the wilderness… ‘thee and all the fish of thy rivers.’” She couldn’t resist quoting Ezekiel 29:5.
“I'm a saloon girl, I sing and dance and make nice with the men customers. We saloon folk are despised by the good Christians," she explained but in an almost cheery or at least nonchalant tone of voice.
The ugly woman made an exaggerated tutting noise and threaded an arm through Caroline’s, and for the first time a slight smile showed.
“So you are damned in the eyes of these New Pharisees because you make people happy? Hm. I see. Nurses were once despised as much as saloon girls, until Miss Nightingale showed the way. She was our Saviour. Oh, what a glorious tree!”
They were at the large Maple now.
They stopped to look at it, and the nurse turned and held out her hand.
“My name is Adelheid Armentrout… and I do not like being told whom to like and approve of and whom to despise and cast out into the wilderness. I would like to be your friend if you will allow it, Miss Saloon singer. I think I should very much like to walk in the wilderness with you.”
Well, her joke fell flat as the woman took her quite seriously. No matter. Caroline decided to warn her just who she was wanting to walk with, not exactly a popular woman in town least with the church going folk.
“My dear friend… I AM the proper church going folk!” countered the nurse, with supreme self-assurance. Her hazel, not quite straight eyes danced with merriment behind her wire-rimmed spectacles, while her mouth stayed in a definite straight line.
"Ahh," Caroline let her continue then.
“… but do tell me what horrors you have committed that you are cast out into the wilderness… ‘thee and all the fish of thy rivers.’”
Caroline was no expert on the Bible, matter of fact she'd never read any of it and did not care to at this point in her life.
"That might take awhile," she couldn't help but smirk if she was to list such.
However, she settled for mentioning her job at the saloon.
“So you are damned in the eyes of these New Pharisees because you make people happy? Hm. I see. Nurses were once despised as much as saloon girls, until Miss Nightingale showed the way. She was our Saviour. Oh, what a glorious tree!”
Pharisees? They must be pretty new, she didn't know any pharisees, must be more Bible talk, thought Caroline. Wait, did she just mention nurses, so this one was a nurse? Could be, besides they were getting a hospital.
"It is nice," Caroline said of the tree.
"My name is Adelheid Armentrout… and I do not like being told whom to like and approve of and whom to despise and cast out into the wilderness. I would like to be your friend if you will allow it, Miss Saloon singer. I think I should very much like to walk in the wilderness with you.”
She was holding out a bony hand to shake so Caroline did so without hesitation.
"Nice ta meet ya, Adelheid Armentrout. I'm Caroline Mundee. Always lookin' fer new friends."
"But I'm not the outdoorsy type, no walking in the wilderness for me," again with an attempt at a joke.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
"Nice ta meet ya, Adelheid Armentrout. I'm Caroline Mundee. Always lookin' fer new friends."
Adelheid's lazy eye pulled itself together and the nurse fixed Caroline with a penetrating and approving gaze and uttered "Seek, and ye shall find." She was an odd sort of woman, po-faced and serious, but who quietly laughed with her eyes.
"But I'm not the outdoorsy type, no walking in the wilderness for me," again with an attempt at a joke.
"Perhaps you take the wilderness with you, in here." she moved her hand to over Caroline's heart and touched her there gently. "Just as I try to carry stillness in my heart" she added, touching her own chest.
Adelheid glanced tree again, it seemed to feed her soul; but looking at Caroline, so vivacious, so full of life, did the same for her. The sick drained her, she gave so much of herself to them. To talk to a lively, beautiful soul like this completely revitalised her.
"What do you sing songs about in your saloon?" she asked, a tip of her head emphasising her very real interest.
"Perhaps you take the wilderness with you, in here." the young woman moved her hand to over Caroline's heart and touched her there gently. "Just as I try to carry stillness in my heart" she added, touching her own chest.
"Ummm, yeah, sure," Caroline slowly nodded. Good lord, this one was an odd duck!But then Caroline had met and dealt with all kinds of people in her trade.
"What do you sing songs about in your saloon?" the woman asked.
"Oh, all sorts. Old favorites of course. Funny songs sometimes. And to be honest, some rather bawdy ones you'd not hear in church but the menfolk love'em. I dance some too but no great shakes at it, men like it best when I show some leg. People do say that I'm a good singer though, if I can brag a little," Caroline answered.
"Tell me, are you in town to get a job at the new hospital?" she was curious.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
"What do you sing songs about in your saloon?" the woman asked.
"Oh, all sorts. Old favorites of course. Funny songs sometimes. And to be honest, some rather bawdy ones you'd not hear in church but the menfolk love 'em.”
“I imagine that you can put any song across well” Adelheid told her flatteringly "It all sounds most convivial.".
“I dance some too but no great shakes at it, men like it best when I show some leg. People do say that I'm a good singer though, if I can brag a little," Caroline answered.
“And you don’t mind them seeing them, your legs I mean?” She seemed more interested in Caroline’s pins than her vocal chords. “Mine are rather spindly, I’m not sure they would enjoy seeing those, though probably more than my singing. It must be wonderful to be so talented, Caroline.” the nurse said in that oddly dispassionate, no-nonsense, matter-of-fact voice that she possessed.
"Tell me, are you in town to get a job at the new hospital?" she was curious.
Nurse Armentrout shrugged a little. “Oh, no, not in particular. My cousin recommended me to Mrs Wigfall as a private nurse, and she sent for me from Polson. Hospital jobs can be difficult, not the work you understand, the personalities; if any of the doctors or other nurses are a problem or, heaven forbid, ‘having relationships’, then… like I say, it can be difficult. I have worked in hospitals where the patients and their ailments are the least of the problems, by far.”
“What are the other people on the staff like at the saloon?” Adelheid asked her new acquaintance, she was drinking Caroline in like a woman dying of thirst.
“I imagine that you can put any song across well” Adelheid told her flatteringly "It all sounds most convivial.".
The nurse sure was complimentary to her, even though Caroline was uncertain what 'convivial' meant but it was likely not an insult at least.
As for her dance remarks, the nurse wondered, "And you don’t mind them seeing them, your legs I mean?”
"Nah, my legs are the best part of me," the saloon girl smiled.
“Mine are rather spindly, I’m not sure they would enjoy seeing those, though probably more than my singing. It must be wonderful to be so talented, Caroline."
"Yer too nice and don't be so hard on yerself, I know a gal with skinny legs and she is quite pretty. She draws a lot a men's eyes too," Caroline countered. She meant Arabella who had been a rather ugly scrawny wisp of a thing but now had blossomed into a fine looking young lady...though still on the thin side.
Caroline now asked if this Adelheid was seeking a job at the hospital but nope. Hired already to the Wigfalls...oh yes, Hector's wound had been very serious.
“What are the other people on the staff like at the saloon?” Adelheid asked.
"The owner...well less said about him the better but he does pay well. My best friend is also the bartender and bouncer there, Ralph. Union army veteran, pretty quiet but loyal as the day is long. I trust him like I trust no other. Then there is Messaline the cook. She is one good cook too! And we got us a few part timers, a piano player, a young gal who cleans and such."
"They're my family, really. Well, not the owner though," she added.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
"Yer too nice and don't be so hard on yerself, I know a gal with skinny legs and she is quite pretty. She draws a lot a men's eyes too," Caroline countered.
“I have to be quite careful about male friends.” Nurse Armentrout said in reply “My patients must feel that I am completely devoted to them and them alone.” She looked wistful “That would be very difficult if I had your beauty, Caroline, maybe my plain looks are a blessing in that way.” Before the saloon singer could object again, for she wasn’t fishing for compliments, she asked another question.
“What are the other people on the staff like at the saloon?” Adelheid asked.
"The owner...well less said about him the better but he does pay well.”
“Good, a girl must live” nodded Adelheid.
“My best friend is also the bartender and bouncer there, Ralph. Union army veteran, pretty quiet but loyal as the day is long. I trust him like I trust no other…”
A boyfriend? wondered Adelheid, but no, sounded more like a father figure.
“Then there is Messalina the cook. She is one good cook too! And we got us a few part timers, a piano player, a young gal who cleans and such."
“They sound very wonderful” Adelheid posited.
"They're my family, really. Well, not the owner though," she added.
“Oh no, not he. He sounds perfectly dreadful!” the woman in the navy blue nurse’s outfit said firmly, although the only thing she really knew about Fortner was that he paid well and Caroline didn’t like him. Well, maybe that was enough!
“… and is there a very special person in your life? Oh, I am sorry, that is not a question one should ask, that was unforgivably rude of me” the ugly young woman declared, clearly angry with herself.
“… and is there a very special person in your life? Oh, I am sorry, that is not a question one should ask, that was unforgivably rude of me” the ugly young woman declared, clearly angry with herself.
Caroline just smiled and waved it off, "It is not rude but it is bold. Still I like 'bold'. People say I'm often far too bold and I say 'so what'."
"But to answer the question, yes and no. I am with a handsome young man currently but there are no long terms plans to get married. In my job you cannot afford to get married or even pregnant. Well, on those accounts, there is no chance of either for me so it all works out."
"So where you from? Me, I'm from Chicago. Raised in a saloon and now I work in one. It's the only life I know and I'm good with it."