"Yeah MAYBE....maybe years down the road, but Kalispell right now is barely over a few hundred folks. Listen to yourselves go on like we are making some New York City empire. It's all sweet talk. Promises," Caroline shook her head.
Caroline now downed the rest of her drink and turned the empty glass upside down onto the tabletop as she stood up.
Fortner was disappointed but not surprised.
"I can't stop you doin' what you want with this place, yer the owner. But I need to think about whether I want to be a part of all this. I need to talk to Ralph too. I loved this saloon, I was happy here........til you came. With your lies and your cheating an old man out of his property and his wife killin' herself as their lives were ruined. I am so ashamed that I helped you do it too. I keep wonderin' what else yer gonna want from me to see to it you get this crazy dream of yers."
Fortner slowly shook his head resignedly.
"Sit, please," he asked her. "I hear your arguments, and you've got some good points and you're entitled to you opinion. Isn't that right, Hiram?"
"Yep," the wily old codger agreed. "Such a thing as the first Amendment, I opine."
Fortner pushed a chair toward Caroline and waved it it. "Take a load off."
"I wanted to get an idea of what you people thought of all these plans and, to tell you the truth, I thought it would get a better reception. So cool down. I imagine Ralph and the others would feel the same was you and Sally do. So, we'll move to an alternate plan and none of you will be interfered with."
"I would like to say," he continued. "Judge Priest doesn't really deserve all the mud sling at him. As I recall, he hasn't done anything to you and, as a matter of fact, has always treated you with respect."
Priest just stared down at the table in front of him.
"So I'd appreciate it if you left him out of all this. Now, I don't give a good God Damn what you say to me, but leave him alone. Maybe you can take a page out of Sally's book and learn to do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
It was a rare admonition.
Caroline was just about to leave after having rather emphatically said her piece.
Fortner slowly shook his head resignedly.
"Sit, please," he asked her. "I hear your arguments, and you've got some good points and you're entitled to you opinion. Isn't that right, Hiram?"
"Yep," the wily old codger agreed. "Such a thing as the first Amendment, I opine."
Fortner pushed a chair toward Caroline and waved it it. "Take a load off."
Caroline huffed, still quite emotional and upset, but nodded then sat back down.
"I wanted to get an idea of what you people thought of all these plans and, to tell you the truth, I thought it would get a better reception. So cool down. I imagine Ralph and the others would feel the same was you and Sally do. So, we'll move to an alternate plan and none of you will be interfered with."
So suddenly he could take all these big plans of his, made in St. Louis or wherever the hell he had gallivanted off to, and make a different plan? Just like that? Now she wondered how much of what he had originally put forth was even the truth.
"Oh yeah?" she simmered down a bit then, though still would reserve her feelings for when she would hear the alternate plan.
"I would like to say," he continued. "Judge Priest doesn't really deserve all the mud sling at him. As I recall, he hasn't done anything to you and, as a matter of fact, has always treated you with respect."
Carolyn glanced toward Priest, did the old bastard put Fortner up to this?
Priest just stared down at the table in front of him.
"So I'd appreciate it if you left him out of all this. Now, I don't give a good God Damn what you say to me, but leave him alone. Maybe you can take a page out of Sally's book and learn to do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
"Oh I'd love to leave him out of all this. But I guess I just can't forget he had a role in yer little swindle of Mr. Potee and then the death of his poor wife. Yeah, don't even say it, I know she hung herself, you didn't kill her. Any more than I did. And yeah, I know I had a part in the swindle, something I've made clear I deeply regret," the tough saloon gal responded.
"And I ain't Sally in case you haven't figured that out. She's a nice person, however me - I never claimed to be no saint. You just leave her out of all this yerself."
Then she looked directly to Priest, "Alright, here's the best I can do. You and I won't have nothin' ta do with each other. Don't you talk to me and I won't talk to you, so obviously I can't insult you anymore then. Unless, it's saloon business - you know, like tellin' me, there's some customers who need drinks taken to their tables. How do they call this? Oh yeah, civil. We will be civil to each other. But I ain't gonna pretend like we're friends or something. That ain't me."
Then she looked directly to Priest, "Alright, here's the best I can do. You and I won't have nothin' ta do with each other. Don't you talk to me and I won't talk to you, so obviously I can't insult you anymore then. Unless, it's saloon business - you know, like tellin' me, there's some customers who need drinks taken to their tables. How do they call this? Oh yeah, civil. We will be civil to each other. But I ain't gonna pretend like we're friends or something. That ain't me."
Poor Sally, there was only so long she could make washing this glass last! Then, to her relief, Messalina floated back in.
"Sally, you get back to bed, child!"
"Yes, Mrs McMahon!" the girl said gratefully, and whipped off with relief in her heart that she hadn't had to plump down on either side of the argument.
"Now what's all this here you all're jawin' on?!" She waved a hand before they could answer "No, don't even tell me! This aint't no time of night to be discussin' of anything! Everybody get to bed and we'll talk on it in the mornin' with Mr Ralph present too" she ordered. Mister Fortner might own the saloon, but she ruled the kitchen!
Hopefully, sleeping on the matter would calm tempers down all round.
"Oh I'd love to leave him out of all this. But I guess I just can't forget he had a role in yer little swindle of Mr. Potee and then the death of his poor wife. Yeah, don't even say it, I know she hung herself, you didn't kill her. Any more than I did. And yeah, I know I had a part in the swindle, something I've made clear I deeply regret," the tough saloon gal responded.
"And I ain't Sally in case you haven't figured that out. She's a nice person, however me - I never claimed to be no saint. You just leave her out of all this yerself."
Then she looked directly to Priest, "Alright, here's the best I can do. You and I won't have nothin' ta do with each other. Don't you talk to me and I won't talk to you, so obviously I can't insult you anymore then. Unless, it's saloon business - you know, like tellin' me, there's some customers who need drinks taken to their tables. How do they call this? Oh yeah, civil. We will be civil to each other. But I ain't gonna pretend like we're friends or something. That ain't me."
"Sounds tolerable, Miss Caroline," Priest intoned.
Poor Sally, there was only so long she could make washing this glass last! Then, to her relief, Messalina floated back in.
"Sally, you get back to bed, child!"
"Yes, Mrs McMahon!" the girl said gratefully, and whipped off with relief in her heart that she hadn't had to plump down on either side of the argument.
"Now what's all this here you all're jawin' on?!" She waved a hand before they could answer "No, don't even tell me! This aint't no time of night to be discussin' of anything! Everybody get to bed and we'll talk on it in the mornin' with Mr Ralph present too" she ordered. Mister Fortner might own the saloon, but she ruled the kitchen!
Hopefully, sleeping on the matter would calm tempers down all round.
"Good idea!" Fortner readily agreed. "What do you say, Judge?"
Hiram bolted down what was left in his liquor glass, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and rose. "'Spect you're right."
Franklin also stood, and as he walked behind Caroline's chair, he said in a soft, even, voice, "You know, Caroline. If I had to replace you, it might take me about four days."
"Sounds tolerable, Miss Caroline," Priest intoned.
"Fine," Caroline left it at that. She had given her word and she'd do her best to keep it. But like or trust the man, never!
Suddenly Messalina returned and she was taking charge of her kitchen. She shooed Sally off to bed, the girl seemed happy to go.
"Now what's all this here you all're jawin' on?!" the cook waved a hand before they could answer "No, don't even tell me! This aint't no time of night to be discussin' of anything! Everybody get to bed and we'll talk on it in the mornin' with Mr Ralph present too" she ordered.
"Good idea!" Fortner readily agreed. "What do you say, Judge?"
Hiram bolted down what was left in his liquor glass, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and rose. "'Spect you're right."
Franklin also stood, and as he walked behind Caroline's chair, he said in a soft, even, voice, "You know, Caroline. If I had to replace you, it might take me about four days."
"Is that right? I never thought I was irreplaceable. Ain't a person in this world that can't be replaced. Keep that in mind about yerself too," Caroline met his gaze head on.
If he meant that as a threat, so be it.
"I'm going to bed now. G'nite, Messalina," she smiled at the negro woman then left the room to head upstairs.
"Goodnight, Miss Caroline, and you don't you go losin' and sleep about any o' this here..." well, what was the word for it "... upheavals. We'll all have a nice calm talk about it in the mornin' and things won't seem so bad after a good night's sleep." she assured the blonde bar singer like she actually believed that herself.
She looked at Fortner and Priest.
"An' I'm headin' to the land of Nod myself, you gentlemen remember to lock up tight - that cotton-pickin' strangler feller's still about!" she warned as she left the two scheming men to it.
Preston unless we're calling it a day and starting a new thread...?
She looked at Fortner and Priest.
"An' I'm headin' to the land of Nod myself, you gentlemen remember to lock up tight - that cotton-pickin' strangler feller's still about!" she warned as she left the two scheming men to it.
"You know, Shadow, you make about as much sense as anyone else in this town. Right Mayor?"
Hiram nodded sagely.
With that, the two men made certain that the emporium was locked, then headed for their respective rooms. There would be much to do tomorrow.
OOC: OK, good place to end this thread. I will get it archived soon.