It was early in the day.
With the spry Hiram Priest as help, Franklin Fortner pushed two, long, tables together, forming a conference table. Then, to one of the help, he asked, "Help me move some chairs up to the sides here; Six to each side. What followed were a couple of minutes of grinding chair legs across the newly varnished floor.
Franklin winced.
When it was all done, he called over to Ralph.
"This will take some customer seating away, but it's only for this afternoon. You'll just get more traffic leaning on the bar, I guess."
To christen the arrangement, Hiram sat in one of the chairs and hooked his thumbs around his suspenders. "This'll work fine. There's plenty of room. I guess we oughta put some spittoons around so our floor doesn't get more fouled up."
The Saloon owner just nodded sadly.
Hiram Priest continued.
"I heard some fellers were already lookin' for lodging. Hope there's room."
Franklin signaled for his barkeep to come over.
Sally helped with the chairs as best she could, but she was just a weak girl after all, there was bound to be some scraping.
"What's it all about Mister Fortner?" she asked with a frown on non-comprehension.
She assumed it was all something to do with the high-flown plans o which the boss and his geriatric henchman, Mister Priest, had talked about last night when they had arrived back from St. Louis, or where-ever they'd been.
"Are you having a tea party?"
@[Wayfarer]
Sally helped with the chairs as best she could, but she was just a weak girl after all, there was bound to be some scraping.
"What's it all about Mister Fortner?" she asked with a frown on non-comprehension.
She assumed it was all something to do with the high-flown plans o which the boss and his geriatric henchman, Mister Priest, had talked about last night when they had arrived back from St. Louis, or where-ever they'd been.
Her Boss had his back to Sally but when he heard her, he turned. "Huh?"
"Are you having a tea party?"
"Well, you might say it's big tea party, Sally, but without the tea. Probably Red Eye." That was true enough, but he felt he owed one of his newest employees a better answer than that. After all, she was always polite to him, unlike Caroline.
"It's actually sort of a business meeting, Sally. It's big business and maybe a good way for you to make some big tips. What is it you do, mostly? I've been away. Maybe it's time to give you some different work to do."
Ralph watched the table arrangements but kept cleaning glasses from his post behind the bar. He had been appraised by Caroline of the night earlier and all of Fortner's big ideas. She'd also warned him that things were maybe going from bad to worse between her and the owner. Ralph assured her he was firmly in her corner.
"This will take some customer seating away, but it's only for this afternoon. You'll just get more traffic leaning on the bar, I guess," called out Fortner to him.
"Sure, I'm used to it all," Ralph called back.
Eventually though Fortner wanted him to come over there for........some reason. He set down his towel and latest glass to be dried then made his way from behind the bar.
"Yessir, what'd you want?" Ralph now inquired of his employer.
"This will take some customer seating away, but it's only for this afternoon. You'll just get more traffic leaning on the bar, I guess," called out Fortner to him.
"Sure, I'm used to it all," Ralph called back.
Eventually though Fortner wanted him to come over there for........some reason. He set down his towel and latest glass to be dried then made his way from behind the bar.
"Yessir, what'd you want?" Ralph now inquired of his employer.
Fortner wasn't stupid. He figured that Caroline, or others, had clued Ralph about some possible changes in the operation of the Stardust. If it was Caroline, he knew that it would be presented in the worst possible light. It was his goal to rectify that.
"I don't know if you've heard anything, but there are some possible changes to things around the Stardust that are pretty exciting. I want you to know that nothing is going to happen here until you are consulted and, hopefully, satisfied. But be sure that nothing is going to happen to your position here; You are too valuable to me."
While he'd been conversing with Ralph, Hiram Priest ambled by and listened.
"As far as today goes, and all this preparation," he waved his hand at the aligned tables, "I want to explain what it's about."
"We're hosting some newcomers to town. These are working men, like yourself, and you'll be seeing them from time-to-time for some while. Maybe, forever. Anyway, let's show them some good old-fashioned Stardust hospitality, and keep the liquor flowing. If you need some help with that, 'cause it's going to get busy, I'll assign someone to help you."
He smiled warmly at his Barkeep. "Whaddya say?"
"We're hosting some newcomers to town. These are working men, like yourself, and you'll be seeing them from time-to-time for some while. Maybe, forever. Anyway, let's show them some good old-fashioned Stardust hospitality, and keep the liquor flowing. If you need some help with that, 'cause it's going to get busy, I'll assign someone to help you."
"I can help!" yelped Sally, who had been hovering, as per usual like an annoying 'skeeter.
He smiled warmly at his Barkeep. "Whaddya say?"
Sally wondered. She'd eves-dropped Caroline telling the stern barkeeper all about the 'open all hours' scheme, but she sometimes wondered if Mr. Flandry agreed with the wildcat singer's often angry views on things just to keep the peace. She looked up at him now with those big brown saucer eyes to hear the granite-like man's views on it all without Caroline in earshot.
"Yessir, what'd you want?" Ralph now inquired of his employer.
"We're hosting some newcomers to town. These are working men, like yourself, and you'll be seeing them from time-to-time for some while. Maybe, forever. Anyway, let's show them some good old-fashioned Stardust hospitality, and keep the liquor flowing. If you need some help with that, 'cause it's going to get busy, I'll assign someone to help you."
Ralph would have thought the man had caught on by now how things worked - he stayed behind the bar, tended to customers there, and poured the drinks for those at the tables. He did not run and deliver them. Caroline did that, except when she was singing and dancing up on the stage.
"Caroline can help," Ralph answered dryly.
I can help!" yelped Sally, who had been hovering, as per usual like an annoying 'skeeter.
Fortner smiled warmly at his Barkeep. "Whaddya say?"
Ralph laconically nodded, "Sure, let Sally help too."
Ralph had nothing against Sally, nice enough young miss, bit of a simple minded sort maybe but pleasant and eager to please. And, in the mood Caroline was currently in, probably a good thing if Sally pitched in.
"I do got one question though? We chargin' em for these drinks like the rest of the customers?" he needed to know.
"We're hosting some newcomers to town. These are working men, like yourself, and you'll be seeing them from time-to-time for some while. Maybe, forever. Anyway, let's show them some good old-fashioned Stardust hospitality, and keep the liquor flowing. If you need some help with that, 'cause it's going to get busy, I'll assign someone to help you."
"I can help!" yelped Sally, who had been hovering, as per usual like an annoying 'skeeter.
Sally wondered. She'd eves-dropped Caroline telling the stern barkeeper all about the 'open all hours' scheme, but she sometimes wondered if Mr. Flandry agreed with the wildcat singer's often angry views on things just to keep the peace. She looked up at him now with those big brown saucer eyes to hear the granite-like man's views on it all without Caroline in earshot.
Fortner smiled warmly at his Barkeep. "Whaddya say?"
Ralph laconically nodded, "Sure, let Sally help too."
"There you go, Sal," Fortner reinforced. He liked Sally. She was such a breath of fresh air from the blasts from Hell routinely delivered by Caroline. "Ralph can show you the ropes."
It was getting increasingly difficult for Fortner to deal with Caroline, who never had a nice thing to say to him. He remembered his promise the former saloon owner, and had tried his best to abide by the agreement to keep the staff,.. but.
Ralph had nothing against Sally, nice enough young miss, bit of a simple minded sort maybe but pleasant and eager to please. And, in the mood Caroline was currently in, probably a good thing if Sally pitched in.
"I do got one question though? We chargin' em for these drinks like the rest of the customers?" he needed to know.
"Sure are," Franklin said. "These guys are going to be paid enough to manage our prices. They are a good sort, from what I hear, so things should run smoothly."
He lowered his voice a bit. "Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, you know. There might be a few changes around here, Ralph, but nothing that ought to upset your apple cart. You are one of he only people I can depend on, and I want to keep you happy. And if you have any questions about anything you've heard, just ask me, and we can talk everything over up in the office over some good liquor."
"Sure are," Franklin said. "These guys are going to be paid enough to manage our prices. They are a good sort, from what I hear, so things should run smoothly."
Sally plastered a happy smile on her face. Not that she was unhappy about all this, really, and it was nice to take the boss's smooth blandishments and allow herself to be convinced, despite Caroline's misgivings, about how great this was all going to be. Big happy smile. The boss would like that. Show she was onboard.
When Caroline chuntered about it all later, of course, she would be all sympathetic frowns and 'oooh, I know, isn't it awful's, to keep in with her. It wasn't guile on the simple girl's part, it was an innate need to please people. Of course, the awkward part was when Fortner and Miss Mundee were together arguing, poor Sal couldn't smile and frown at the same time. She knew; she'd tried it in the mirror.
It had just made her look like a simpleton.
He lowered his voice a bit. "Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, you know. There might be a few changes around here, Ralph, but nothing that ought to upset your apple cart. You are one of he only people I can depend on, and I want to keep you happy. And if you have any questions about anything you've heard, just ask me, and we can talk everything over up in the office over some good liquor."
Sally leaned in and literally cupped an ear.
"You can depend on me, too, Mister Fortner" Sally chirped, tugging at the boss-man's fancy jacket with her skinny fingers, "Make mine a sarsaparilla" she whispered, assuming that she was invited to this secret meeting of great minds, too.
He lowered his voice a bit. "Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, you know. There might be a few changes around here, Ralph, but nothing that ought to upset your apple cart. You are one of he only people I can depend on, and I want to keep you happy. And if you have any questions about anything you've heard, just ask me, and we can talk everything over up in the office over some good liquor."
Sally leaned in and literally cupped an ear.
"You can depend on me, too, Mister Fortner" Sally chirped, tugging at the boss-man's fancy jacket with her skinny fingers, "Make mine a sarsaparilla" she whispered, assuming that she was invited to this secret meeting of great minds, too.
"Sarsaparilla it is, Sally, when you're not helping Ralph out," her Boss said. "You'll be pretty busy, though, but we'll see how it goes.
Franklin chuckled. He was wondering what the innocent Sally would think of these hardened men, once she met them. Of course, there were hardened men right in Montana -- lots of them, but the men from back East had a certain edge that was different, if hardened.
As if on queue, the saloon doors opened and in walked a parade of newcomers. They were wearing workman's clothes, not chaps and spurs, and their hats were not cowboy hats. Theirs were boaters, rumpled fedoras, and caps. The supervisor .. the man who would be overseeing the operation on a day-to-day basis was Jake Baxter. He was followed by Dan McGrath, Lem Cross, and Pete Holmquist. Not among then were "Gunner" Sunderson, Jim Henry, or "Digger the Nigger". This last was the most dedicated excavator in the business, but since he was a negro, he was not usually at establishments occasioned by white people.
Fortner waved at them, and signaled them to take seat around the tables.
Priest, too, took a seat.
"The Crew," he informed Sally.
