Morgan stepped out in the street and stuck his hat on his head. After he had taken a long soaking bath to remove the trail dust from himself, Morgan had treated himself to a hot water shave, removing everything but his mustache. After his clean up, Morgan had put on his better set of clothes which consisted of a set of black pants and a frock coat and a clean white shirt. His hat, sadly, was the same and he figured he might need to look into a new one. Morgan's gun belt was his normal one from before and definitely stood out from the clean clothes he was wearing, but he trusted the familiar leather too much to change it.
He walked along the sidewalk and ended up at the saloon that the desk clerk had indicated was the only one in town. Morgan gave the place a once over from outside, then he walked up to the doorway and entered. Morgan let his eyes travel around the room and make a judgment on those scattered around the tables or leaning against the bar. Morgan made his way over to the bar and settled into an open spot and he waited for the barkeep to notice a new customer...
Address me as Hon. Hiram Priest, esq.
He walked along the sidewalk and ended up at the saloon that the desk clerk had indicated was the only one in town. Morgan gave the place a once over from outside, then he walked up to the doorway and entered. Morgan let his eyes travel around the room and make a judgment on those scattered around the tables or leaning against the bar. Morgan made his way over to the bar and settled into an open spot and he waited for the barkeep to notice a new customer...
At his appointed table toward the back of the barroom, sat Hiram Priest, flipping cards over in a game of solitaire. After he'd play his red jack on a black queen, his spied the new figure from over the top of his glasses. Ever since his old nemesis had shown up in town a while back, he was wary of new comers.
He tried to get Ralph's attention by holding up his index finger and crooking it toward the new customer.
ooc: Sorry, missed this.
Ralph had just finished handing a few beers out to a couple of thirsty cowpokes and collecting their coin, when movement from Priest caught his peripheral vision. Fortner's creepy chum signaled new customer at the bar. Ralph turned to look. He knew the man alright. The newcomer who'd played a big role in shooting up those Evergreen gunmen.
Ralph approached Morgan then with a grin, "So ya found the place. Like I said first one's on the house and second one's on me. What'll have?"
Ralph approached Morgan then with a grin, "So ya found the place. Like I said first one's on the house and second one's on me. What'll ya have?"
Morgan looked at the man for a moment, then it clicked. "Well, that's mighty kind. I'll have a beer, thanks. I stay away from the hard stuff. I find I like it too much..."
(Ralph response)
Morgan took a look around the saloon to see if he could answer his own question, then looked back at Ralph. "Who do you recommend for the best meal in town? I have been eating my own cooking for weeks and I honestly am not that good a cook. The desk clerk at the hotel said their place was great, but I realize he might be biased."
Morgan looked at the man for a moment, then it clicked. "Well, that's mighty kind. I'll have a beer, thanks. I stay away from the hard stuff. I find I like it too much..."
"Problem a lot of folk have," commented Ralph who then poured the man not one but two beers and placed them in front of Morgan.
The newcomer had a perfectly sensible question, "Who do you recommend for the best meal in town? I have been eating my own cooking for weeks and I honestly am not that good a cook. The desk clerk at the hotel said their place was great, but I realize he might be biased."
"I'm sure the hotel food is good, costs too much though. Or so I've heard. Never been there but Caroline has," Ralph shrugged.
"Now we got us the best stew in town, not just sayin' that either. Ask anyone but that's all we serve. So you can go to the Lick Skillet, it's a diner which serves less expensive but still good food."
Since he had brought up Caroline's name, Ralph now called out to her, "Hey, Caroline. Come over once. Meet the newcomer."
Caroline had been sitting at a table with the piano player, no doubt discussing numbers which might be performed that evening when she did her stage act. She complied with a smile and a nod then sashayed on over to the bar, getting right up close to the man. It was her style.
"Oh, hello there, hon. If Ralph wants me to meet you, you must be worth it. Name's Caroline," she flashed one of her charming smiles.
Morgan lifted the first mug and sampled it. He gave an appreciative nod and a longer drink. "Not bad..." He then listened as Ralph ran down his options for a meal. He listened and took in the advice of the closest thing to an expert he had. More expensive than it was worth...good but limited to please a certain audience...and finally what sounded like his best option here in Kalispell.
Next Ralph was calling someone over from behind Morgan. Before he had a chance to turn he felt the definite softness of a woman's dress and her body as she settled next to him at the bar. Morgan turned a bit and looked down at her. His hand reflexively came up to remove his hat as his eyes settled on her.
"Oh, hello there, hon. If Ralph wants me to meet you, you must be worth it. Name's Caroline," she flashed one of her charming smiles.
"A pleasure ma'am...Name's William Morgan but everyone just calls me Morgan. It annoys my brother when he's around..." Morgan gave a smile in return. "...I don't know about being worth it, but Ralph and I met during the gunplay earlier...I figure that makes us friends, now."
"A pleasure ma'am...Name's William Morgan but everyone just calls me Morgan. It annoys my brother when he's around..." Morgan gave a smile in return.
"Morgan it is then," Caroline nodded as she smiled.
"...I don't know about being worth it, but Ralph and I met during the gunplay earlier...I figure that makes us friends, now."
"Oh, I got it now. Yeah, anyone who stands up to those Evergreeners is a friend of ours. We serve 'em when some of them are customers but don't mean we gotta like 'em any. I'd have went out there myself to help but I only got a derringer and as you know, ain't got much range for a shootout," she added.
"So....what you do for a living when you aren't shooting at Evergreeners?" she grinned.
"So....what you do for a living when you aren't shooting at Evergreeners?" she grinned.
"Oh, Evergreeners is what you call them? I'll remember that..." Morgan took another drink from the first beer. "...as for what I do for a living...I am kind of between jobs at the moment. According to my brother's telegram, he was going to meet me here. He got a letter from a old friend of ours that he might be needing a bit of help."
"Oh, Evergreeners is what you call them? I'll remember that..."Morgan said.
Caroline chuckled, "Actually I call them a lot of other words but some folk tell me I swear too much."
"...as for what I do for a living...I am kind of between jobs at the moment. According to my brother's telegram, he was going to meet me here. He got a letter from a old friend of ours that he might be needing a bit of help."
"That's all well and good but I see you managed to not really tell me what you do fer a livin'? Somehow I doubt you are a carpenter or a shopkeeper. But hey, if I'm bein' too nosey, just say it and I'll stop. Just making conversation is all," Caroline smiled.
"Speakin' of which all this conversing is making my throat a bit dry. Would you be averse to buyin' me a drink, Morgan hon?"
It was her job afterall to get the customers to spend money. No one ever could say the young woman wasn't diligent in her work.
"That's all well and good but I see you managed to not really tell me what you do fer a livin'? Somehow I doubt you are a carpenter or a shopkeeper. But hey, if I'm bein' too nosey, just say it and I'll stop. Just making conversation is all," Caroline smiled.
Morgan sighed and looked around before he leaned a little closer. "I used to be a lawman...Me and my brother decided that getting shot at while trying to keep the peace was not a recipe for a long life, so we gave it up..." Morgan tool another drink of his beer. "...problem is, I can't stop sticking my nose in where it's not asked for. Call it a character flaw, I suppose. One I am trying to fix."
"Speakin' of which all this conversing is making my throat a bit dry. Would you be averse to buyin' me a drink, Morgan hon?"
Morgan let out a chuckle as the sound of the trap springing went off in his head. "I suppose the least I can do is help you do your job, little lady..." Morgan looked up at Ralph and gave a nod at the woman beside him. "One of whatever she usually has, thanks."