Address me as Hon. Hiram Priest, esq.
This was a month before Sally started her romance with Cabot Flagg, and her unproductive date with Cade Brodie, and the girl could do nothing other than blush a deep red to the very roots of her hair and stammer "N.. no, Sir. I don't know anything about boys really. We were kinda kept away from the soldiers when I was a laundress at the fort. The fellers here sometimes say things I don't understand or 'marry me Sally' or something, but I think they're just making fun of me." she replied as best she could.
"W... why do you ask, Sir?"
She wondered if some nice young good-looking lad had been asking after her.
Priest recognized her hesitancy to discuss anything too personal; It was an endearing trait.
"Oh Hell, Miss Cutts, I hope I didn't come across as too nosy, but you seem like such a nice young lady, hard workin', pleasant to customers, and pretty to boot, should oughta have a cavalcade of men bustin' down the doors and hoping for a dance with you."
"You don't want to see yourself short, young lady. Maybe if you had a little more confidence, things might change for you. In fact, I think you could give that snotty Caroline a run for her money."
Fortner rubbed his chin, then explained further. "These men will become regular customers and their money will go into our coffers. It's good business. Today was just a breaking-the-ice. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, it does. Just hope they all realize they have to pay from now on," Ralph pointed out one possible flaw.
"Oh sure. Nothing's going to stand in the way of this saloon being the going concern its always been. A going concern with the best damned barkeep from Sandusky to Sacramento." He reached over and slapped Ralph's shoulder.
Fortner felt expansive and generous.
"How much are we paying you?" he asked. "I haven't been into the books lately."
"Oh Hell, Miss Cutts, I hope I didn't come across as too nosy, but you seem like such a nice young lady, hard workin', pleasant to customers, and pretty to boot, should oughta have a cavalcade of men bustin' down the doors and hoping for a dance with you."
"I think you're telling the wrong party, Mister Priest, you need to tell all them fellers what ain't bustin' down the doors!" she joked, quite witty that, for bubble-brained soapsuds Sal.
"You don't want to see yourself short, young lady. Maybe if you had a little more confidence, things might change for you. In fact, I think you could give that snotty Caroline a run for her money."
"Oh, Caroline's not snotty, Mister Priest!" Sally quickly defended her friend, although she was outrageously rude to the boss and his superannuated henchman most of the time, she had to admit "She's just got a 'Nartistic Temperment' - Miss Mudd told me about them. She says talented young women always have them, cept Miss Grimes, but she's blind so she don't count. And vice versa. I ain't got no talent, so that's why I'm always able to be nice and friendly to folks."
She tried to explain, with tortuous logic, why Caroline was so spikey with the two men all the time.
"Oh sure. Nothing's going to stand in the way of this saloon being the going concern its always been. A going concern with the best damned barkeep from Sandusky to Sacramento." He reached over and slapped Ralph's shoulder.
Fortner hadn't gotten a read yet on Ralph even after all this time. Ralph was not the sort of person who cared for things like gushing compliments that were plainly over the top or hugs or back slaps. Ralph did not react though because it was the boss. Hell, even Caroline and him did not ever hug.
"If you say so," was Ralph's laconic reply.
"How much are we paying you?" Fortner asked. "I haven't been into the books lately."
The man who owns this place and he doesn't keep abreast of the books? Miss Deveraux always checked the books almost daily.She did her own bookkeeping. Ralph did not say anything though.
"Yer payin' me fine. Which is the same answer I gave the last two times ya asked me. Wages are more than fair. None of the staff have complained," Ralph answered.
"Miss Mudd did not leave here because of wages. Caroline's issues with you are not because of wages. Another raise won't change anything," Ralph now figured just maybe he needed to point this out.
Address me as Hon. Hiram Priest, esq.
"Oh, Caroline's not snotty, Mister Priest!" Sally quickly defended her friend, although she was outrageously rude to the boss and his superannuated henchman most of the time, she had to admit "She's just got a 'Nartistic Temperment' - Miss Mudd told me about them. She says talented young women always have them, cept Miss Grimes, but she's blind so she don't count. And vice versa. I ain't got no talent, so that's why I'm always able to be nice and friendly to folks."
She tried to explain, with tortuous logic, why Caroline was so spikey with the two men all the time.
Indeed, the wily Mayor/Judge, who'd heard every excuse and twisted logic advanced by man, was left staring ahead, trying to untangle and somehow translate Sally's words. His efforts were in vain, so he changed the subject.'
"Do you know ciphering? You know, arithmetic?" he asked. It was leading somewhere which is more than the cul-de-sac Sally had just led him to.
Fortner hadn't gotten a read yet on Ralph even after all this time. Ralph was not the sort of person who cared for things like gushing compliments that were plainly over the top or hugs or back slaps. Ralph did not react though because it was the boss. Hell, even Caroline and him did not ever hug.
"If you say so," was Ralph's laconic reply.
"How much are we paying you?" He asked. "I haven't been into the books lately."
The man who owns this place and he doesn't keep abreast of the books? Miss Deveraux always checked the books almost daily.She did her own bookkeeping. Ralph did not say anything though.
"Yer payin' me fine. Which is the same answer I gave the last two times ya asked me. Wages are more than fair. None of the staff have complained," Ralph answered.
Ben Franklin would understand your sentiments, Ralph. I seem to have read that he was remarked, "Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion."
Ralph was a tough one, and very hard to read.
"Miss Mudd did not leave here because of wages. Caroline's issues with you are not because of wages. Another raise won't change anything," Ralph now figured just maybe he needed to point this out.
"You seem to know an awful lot about what Caroline would be comfortable with. At least it's good that someone does. She hasn't like me since the day I walked into the place. Because of my agreement with Miss Deveraux, I kept her on. But I've told her that if I needed to replace her, it might take three days."
"Do you know ciphering? You know, arithmetic?" he asked. It was leading somewhere which is more than the cul-de-sac Sally had just led him to.
Sally looked at Mr Priest with a frown as she took in his question, but then brightened to a smile when she realised that she could answer both of his queries in the positive.
"Oh, I know 'rithmatic all right, I can count all the way up to twelve with all my clothes on, and twenty if I take my boots and stockings off. And as for cipherin', Mr Flandry showed me how to do that: the first time I tried, I got a mouthful of the stuff, but now I'm pretty good at it. Why, you got something you want me to do for you, Mister Priest?" she asked helpfully.
She was clearly confounding ciphering with syphoning, which they sometimes had to do to get the beer moving out of the barrels.
But at least the girl was willing!
Sally, counting to 20
"Ben Franklin would understand your sentiments, Ralph. I seem to have read that he was remarked, "Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion."
Ralph shrugged, "Never met the man myself. Bit before my time."
Ralph now leveled with his employer as it seemed Fortner had no clue why Caroline and others despised him so. If Fortner didn't like him saying this, then too bad. It was out now.
"You seem to know an awful lot about what Caroline would be comfortable with. At least it's good that someone does. She hasn't liked me since the day I walked into the place. Because of my agreement with Miss Deveraux, I kept her on. But I've told her that if I needed to replace her, it might take three days."
"That's cuz me n' Caroline are friends. And friends stick up for each other. As for replacing her, it's yer place but if Caroline goes, I go too, and I wouldn't be surprised if the cook and piano player go too. Maybe even Sally not that I can speak for any of 'em," Ralph answered.
"But lemme say that despite her feelin's toward you, Caroline still works hard every shift. The customers love her, they vie for her attention, cheer her every song and dance. And when she's minglin' she gets the boys to buy her all kinds of drinks and of course more drinks then too for themselves. She doesn't shortchange you any. Saloon work is in her blood, it's all she's ever done," he stopped then, that had been quite a mouthful coming from the normally taciturn bartender.
Address me as Hon. Hiram Priest, esq.
"Oh, I know 'rithmatic all right, I can count all the way up to twelve with all my clothes on, and twenty if I take my boots and stockings off. And as for cipherin', Mr Flandry showed me how to do that: the first time I tried, I got a mouthful of the stuff, but now I'm pretty good at it. Why, you got something you want me to do for you, Mister Priest?" she asked helpfully.
She was clearly confounding ciphering with syphoning, which they sometimes had to do to get the beer moving out of the barrels.
But at least the girl was willing!
Priest tugged on his chin and tried to prevent outright laughter. The girl was endearing; That was for sure.
His original question was the result of a conversation he'd just witnessed during the meeting of mining people. They may have found the know-how and muscle to begin a mining operation, but there was the front office stuff which had been neglected. One position was bookkeeper. He'd hoped that, perhaps, young Sally Cutts had enough basic competency to, at least, be a clerk in the office. Sadly, it seemed certain that the young barmaid hadn't gotten anywhere near one of the Land Grant colleges envisioned during the Lincoln Administration.
Still, he gave it a try.
"Have you ever thought of doing office work? A lot of the young women in the cities have begun doing that type of work," Priest ventured.
"You seem to know an awful lot about what Caroline would be comfortable with. At least it's good that someone does. She hasn't liked me since the day I walked into the place. Because of my agreement with Miss Deveraux, I kept her on. But I've told her that if I needed to replace her, it might take three days."
"That's cuz me n' Caroline are friends. And friends stick up for each other. As for replacing her, it's yer place but if Caroline goes, I go too, and I wouldn't be surprised if the cook and piano player go too. Maybe even Sally not that I can speak for any of 'em," Ralph answered.
"But lemme say that despite her feelin's toward you, Caroline still works hard every shift. The customers love her, they vie for her attention, cheer her every song and dance. And when she's minglin' she gets the boys to buy her all kinds of drinks and of course more drinks then too for themselves. She doesn't shortchange you any. Saloon work is in her blood, it's all she's ever done," he stopped then, that had been quite a mouthful coming from the normally taciturn bartender.
"Well now. That sort of puts me in my place. Don't it?" Fortner could have predicted that sort of answer coming from Flandry. He and Caroline had never liked him, approved of him, or made any attempt to hide their contempt. It seemed he'd have to take a newer, less friendly approach to them both.
"We aren't overworking you two. Are we?" he asked.