"That's too much sugar for a dime!"
Anna frowned. "Just because he's a lawyer, it doesn't make him bad."
"Oh, Anna Albrecht, you know it does!" countered Herschelina emphatically.
"In fact, from what I'm told they can come in handy when you need them."
"A good Christian girl should never need a lawyer" pointed out the dark haired girl. By 'Christian' she meant Georgia Baptist Convention, of course. She'd never actually enquired as to her friend's religion, probably some freaky German variety like Moravian Brotherhood or Mennonite, but ,oh well, as long as it was Protestant.
"If he was intending to spark me, then you arrived just in time and saved me the trouble of beating him off with a stick."
"Hph! Some of 'em like being beaten with a stick, I remember this one time when..." she shut up as a customer came close by, examining some fancy scented soap bars (the Devil's work if anything ever was) "... oh, I'll tell you about later" she promised.
Anna smiled, "So how are you today, Herschelina? I trust that Mrs. Orr is well."
"Mrs Orr? Mrs Ashby you mean. Oh Lord, you really are distracted by that feller. Say, you know what I do when I see a man and start to think anything sinful? I just cross my legs, put my fingers in my ears and think of God." She demonstrated.
Herschelina used to think of Jesus at such moments, but ever since she went on an ill advised visit to the Catholic Mission out by the lake, to gaze upon their Popish abominations and Romish atrocities, and seen a big, almost life-size crucifix with a naked Christ figure hanging on it, complete with six-pack musculature and a very scanty loincloth, she had found that meditating upon Christ's image had quite the opposite effect on her efforts to curb sinful thoughts.
No, she'd stick to a geriatric white-beardy God, sitting on a cloud, from now on, thank you very much.
"Anyhow, back to Mrs Ashby, no improvement there. She still just mopes around the house all day wearin' full mournin'. It ain't healthy. She needs to get out and about. Maybe you could get your Missus" She meant Mrs Martin "... to go round and 'suade her to join that stupid Ladies Association. Talkin' nonsense with them other noodle-headed women and playing lady bountiful'd give her somethin' to think bout instead of folks 's dead and gone."
Hersh Colquitt might be a slovenly servant, an ignorant religious bigot and a sexually frustrated prude, but she was sometimes right about some things.
"Mrs Orr? Mrs Ashby you mean. Oh Lord, you really are distracted by that feller. Say, you know what I do when I see a man and start to think anything sinful? I just cross my legs, put my fingers in my ears and think of God." She demonstrated.
"Er...yes I meant Mrs. Ashby." Anna replied feeling a little embarrassed at her faux pas. However, that was quickly soon forgotten as Herschelina did something that she found quite strange and thankfully didn't last long.
"Anyhow, back to Mrs Ashby, no improvement there. She still just mopes around the house all day wearin' full mournin'. It ain't healthy. She needs to get out and about. Maybe you could get your Missus" She meant Mrs Martin "... to go round and 'suade her to join that stupid Ladies Association. Talkin' nonsense with them other noodle-headed women and playing lady bountiful'd give her somethin' to think bout instead of folks 's dead and gone."
"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs Ashby is still feeling sad," Anna said. Having never been married herself, she couldn't quite understand why it was taking so long for the lady to at least join get back to doing normal things. Then again, she could imagine how might be based her own parents marriage. Either one of them would be devastated if they were to lose each other.
She quickly turned her attention to Herschelina's other statement, "Although there are some so-called noodle-headed women around town, they are thankfully in the minority. Ladies like Mrs. Wentworth or Mrs. Thornton-Carlton are two of the most sensible women I know. There are also many others who are very knowledge, including Mrs. Martin and yes, I think it might be a good idea for her to go and see Mrs Ashby. The only problem is that the invitation would have to come from her...I don't see Mrs Martin calling unexpectedly or at least some sort of warning."
"That's too much sugar for a dime!"
"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs Ashby is still feeling sad," Anna said.
"I know, I tried all sorts to cheer her up, told her funny jokes, played her tune on the banjer, done her a clog dance... nuthin'. She mus' be too refined or summit." Herschelina shrugged.
She quickly turned her attention to Herschelina's other statement, "Although there are some so-called noodle-headed women around town, they are thankfully in the minority."
"Where's that?" asked Hersh, who was not the brightest crayon in the box.
"... Ladies like Mrs. Wentworth or Mrs. Thornton-Carlton are two of the most sensible women I know. There are also many others who are very knowledge, including Mrs. Martin and yes, I think it might be a good idea for her to go and see Mrs Ashby. The only problem is that the invitation would have to come from her...I don't see Mrs Martin calling unexpectedly or at least some sort of warning."
"Hmm, that's true" frowned the Colquitt girl. Surely, as the two cleverest women in Kalispell (she dismissed the pretensions of Mrs Wentworth and Mrs Hyphen-Hyphen as mere 'Book Learnin') they could work out a cunning plan between them.
"I know!" she said suddenly "We'll tell a little white lie!"
"A white lie? I don't know," Anna replied, "Sometimes things like that have a habit of turning out all wrong."
A thoughtful look appeared on her face, "I do agree we must think of something..."
Her words were interrupted by the appearance of another customer, the debonair and some would say handsome, William Jennings.
"Good day, ladies," he said as he took off his hat before turning his attention to Anna, "Miss Albrecht, I've come to ask if that stereoscope that Mrs. Martin ordered for me has arrived yet?"
"That's too much sugar for a dime!"
"A white lie? I don't know," Anna replied, "Sometimes things like that have a habit of turning out all wrong."
"Not if they're done with a pure heart!" Herschelina preached with a look of saintly innocence on her pugnacious looking freckled face.
"I do agree we must think of something..."
Hersh turned as the shadow of a tall man fell upon the two girls.
"Good day, ladies," he said as he took off his hat before turning his attention to Anna, "Miss Albrecht, I've come to ask if that stereoscope that Mrs. Martin ordered for me has arrived yet?"
"Oh! Excuse me, Sir, are you a doctor?" Herschelina asked with alacrity, the ignorant girl not knowing the difference between a stereoscope and a stethoscope, before grabbing the hem of her maid's uniform and whipping it up to show a pair of spindly legs, their pallor in stark contrast to her sunburned face, clad in thick black woollen stockings that had seen better days and which had felt the prick of the darning needle on more than one occasion.
"Y'see, I got this freckle that's much darker 'n all the others an' I'm scairt it might be the Black Death like they had in the olden days, ooh, now which one is it... I swear it was there this mornin'!" she frowned, failing to find the pestilent blemish.
William stiffled a laugh as he watched Herschelina's display. He looked over at Anna, who he could see was mortified not just in looks but in her reaction as well..."Herschelina!"
The situation had to be rectified as soon as possible. Turning to Herschelina, he cleared his throat to address the confused girl, "I'm sorry, miss but I'm no doctor. So, if you don't mind..."
As he waited for Herschelina to respond, he gazed over to the door that lead to the stairs that led to the parlour upstairs to see there was any sign of Elizabeth Martin.
"That's too much sugar for a dime!"
William stiffled a laugh as he watched Herschelina's display. He looked over at Anna, who he could see was mortified not just in looks but in her reaction as well..."Herschelina!"
"Oh, It's all right, Anna, doctors don't see women the way other men do; we're just a collection of bones an' skin an' meat to them" Hersh assured her, finally setting on the right freckle.
The situation had to be rectified as soon as possible. Turning to Herschelina, he cleared his throat to address the confused girl, "I'm sorry, miss but I'm no doctor. So, if you don't mind..."
Herschelina gave a somewhat fake gasp and threw down her skirts "Well, really! Of all the naughty tricks to get a girl to show you her legs!" she admonished the tall handsome man "I can see that you are very bad man Mister... er?" she asked, fishing for a name.
"I'm Herschelina Colquitt... Miss" she beamed her best smile which, especially for those used to her usual pugnacious and sulky visage, always made her look slightly like a crazy woman.
Faced with the tall handsome stranger, she instantly regretted her dowdy maid's outfit and tatty straw hat and scuffed boots all of a sudden, and her low station in life. "I work for Mrs Ashby, late relict of Major Ashby, you know, at the big house round the corner" she informed him, trying to sound impressive, if not on her own account, then by dint of the status of her employer "I'm sorry I look such a mess today, but it's a hard life working for a rich lonely widow, y'know, why, you can't imagine how demandin' they can be. I have hardly any time for my own toilet" she added, brushing down her filthy apron.
He gazed over to the door that lead to the stairs that led to the parlour upstairs to see there was any sign of Elizabeth Martin.
Hersh frowned.
"What is a 'stereopoke' then, if it ain't for examinin' winsome young wimmin?" she asked, trying to get his attention back. As for Anna, Hersh had quite forgotten she existed in the presence of this magnetically charming older man.
Her smile made her look like a crazy woman - Miss Herschelina Colquitt
Herschelina gave a somewhat fake gasp and threw down her skirts "Well, really! Of all the naughty tricks to get a girl to show you her legs!" she admonished the tall handsome man "I can see that you are very bad man Mister... er?" she asked, fishing for a name.
"Jennings," William replied not wanting to give out too much information.
"I'm Herschelina Colquitt... Miss" she beamed her best smile which, especially for those used to her usual pugnacious and sulky visage, always made her look slightly like a crazy woman.
He turned briefly and what he saw made him once again look at the door to the back of the store.
"I work for Mrs Ashby, late relict of Major Ashby, you know, at the big house round the corner" she informed him, trying to sound impressive, if not on her own account, then by dint of the status of her employer "I'm sorry I look such a mess today, but it's a hard life working for a rich lonely widow, y'know, why, you can't imagine how demandin' they can be. I have hardly any time for my own toilet" she added, brushing down her filthy apron.
The name Mrs Ashby caught his attention. He knew who the woman was and had been trying to find a way to work out how to meet her as she rarely went out. Now, he had the means to, but he took his time to respond.
He gazed over to the door that lead to the stairs that led to the parlour upstairs to see there was any sign of Elizabeth Martin.
Hersh frowned.
"What is a 'stereopoke' then, if it ain't for examinin' winsome young wimmin?" she asked, trying to get his attention back. As for Anna, Hersh had quite forgotten she existed in the presence of this magnetically charming older man.
Redirecting his attention back to Herschelina, William smiled, "A stereoscope is a special device for viewing photographs in a different way. It's hard to explain without a demonstration but it seems I will have to keep waiting for the one I order."
A thoughtful look appeared on his face as he worked out what to do next. It obvious that this Herschelina was quite taken with him...which in a way wasn't surprising as he was aware of the effect he had on some of those belonging to the fairer sex. It was something to he used to his advantage on many occasions for both business and pleasure. In this case, it was quite easy to think of way to use this situation for his own good.
He smiled again, "Perhaps, if you and your employer are willing, I could call upon you as soon as it arrives to show you how it works."
@ [Javia
"That's too much sugar for a dime!"
Redirecting his attention back to Herschelina, William smiled, "A stereoscope is a special device for viewing photographs in a different way. It's hard to explain without a demonstration but it seems I will have to keep waiting for the one I order."
"Huh" Herscheina mouthed dumbly, nodding in a bovine way, trying to imagine the contraption.
He smiled again, "Perhaps, if you and your employer are willing, I could call upon you as soon as it arrives to show you how it works."
"Oh, yes please!!" the girl yelped "You bring it right on round. Mrs Ashby, she's right interested in art and such, she even paints pictures herself. Can you imagine, high toned fancy lady like she is, all covered in paint n turps? She was going to paint me onct, but she said I was too fidgety. Sides, I wan't gonna take mah duds off, just to be done in oils, I mean, it ain't decent is it, just cause them old time people did it."
Hersh was already imagining the tall handsome man calling on them: his arms around Herschelina as he gently but firmly guided her toward his enormous and alarmingly outlandish equipment.
"Er...no," William replied, "It's not very decent."
If someone were to ask him about Herschelina, his first reaction would be to say that she was touched in the head a little but he knew couldn't...at least not for a little while. The girl was a means to an end. She would allow him to get access to Mrs. Felicity Ashby, a rich, lonely widow who would be able to help fund his lifestyle and when she outgrew her usefulness, he had a way of making sure that he would still financially benefit.
He had done it so many times in the past and would again in the future. Women who were vulnerable with no family to speak of it were easy pickings and when he had finished with them, he had ways of getting rid of them without killing them. Killing them would bring no money and money was all he cared about.
However, now was not the time to ruminate about his work. The sooner he got to know the elusive Mrs. Ashby the better. Digging into the inside pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a card and walked over to Herschelina.
Presenting his card, his smile, "Here is my calling card so that you can inform Mrs. Ashby about our meeting and that as soon as my stereoscope has arrived, I would like to call upon both her and you."
He bowed slightly, "I do hope that your employer will approve of our acquaintance."
@ [Javia