Mark looked at the building he was about to enter. It was late afternoon and shortly after arriving in Kalispell earlier, he had gone to Judge Townsend's office where he was appointed the interim Flathead County Sheriff. Judge Townsend had sent the request for a new county sheriff to the Governor when the previous Sheriff had abruptly taken off leaving behind only a resignation letter that failed to explain where he had left. Since the next election for County Sheriff was due to be held next April, it was prudent to have someone come and take on the job until then.
In his job as a troubleshooter for Governor Houser, Mark had done several fill-in jobs for various lawmen who were incapacitated for some reason or another, making him the obvious choice. Since he had met Judge Townsend a few times, his appointment was welcome one. After being appraised of the situation in Kalispell and the county, he had been sworn in. Tomorrow, he would try to meet the town Marshall but for now he was all for just settling in.
Thankfully, a small cottage on the outskirts of town came with the job so he didn't he have to worry about finding accommodation. The cottage also had a stable where he took care of his horse before inspecting the living quarters. The place had been cleaned after the previous Sheriff had left and just before he had arrived...no doubt fuelling rumours that a new sheriff was coming. Now that he taken care of everything he needed to, there was only one thing left to do.
Entering the building with had the unique name of Lickskillet, Mark took a seat at one of the empty tables.
It was late afternoon so the Lickskillet was not busy. The place closed at 5:00 PM so no suppers were served, but right up til then a customer could get food from pretty much the full menu. Every days menu was printed in chalk on the big blackboard hung up one side wall with the available selections and of course prices. The printing was impeccable, easy to read. Clara, who wrote it each day, would settle for nothing less.
Two older ladies were sitting together at one corner table and they paused in their chatter to gawk at this newcomer. They had no idea who he was but there was little doubt this a big strong man. Constance had just finished wiping off another table she had washed when she looked up. She thought the same as the ladies, an impressive specimen of manhood. Oh and most likely a newcomer too.
He took a seat even as she approached. "Good day to you, sir," she smiled her best customer service smile.
"I'm Constance, I can take your order anytime you're ready. Menu's right there,"she motioned toward the chalkboard.
"If you need some time, I can leave you be until you've decided," she add, it was not proper to rush the customer.
"Smokey! Sic em, boy, sic em!"
"Hey you!" Granny Miggins called over to Harper from the adjacent table.
"Yeah, you. There's nobody else here, by crikey! What's your name and who are ya? I got a bet with my friend Mrs Warbouys here. She reckons you're a lawman, but I reckon your a outlaw, which of us is right?"
The old lady next to the speaker whispered something in the other's ear.
"Oh, an' she wants to know if you're married, 'cause if you ain't... I reckon she a-lookin'! And let me tell you, son, she might be over Eighty but she's hot stuff after a couple of shots of chill tonic!" the desiccated harridan cackled with a leery grin.
Before he could have a chance say anything to the waitress, Mark was interrupted by one of the two old ladies seated nearby...
"Hey you!" Granny Miggins called over to Harper from the adjacent table.
"Yeah, you. There's nobody else here, by crikey! What's your name and who are ya? I got a bet with my friend Mrs Warbouys here. She reckons you're a lawman, but I reckon your a outlaw, which of us is right?"
The old lady next to the speaker whispered something in the other's ear.
"Oh, an' she wants to know if you're married, 'cause if you ain't... I reckon she a-lookin'! And let me tell you, son, she might be over Eighty but she's hot stuff after a couple of shots of chill tonic!" the desiccated harridan cackled with a leery grin.
Mark's eyes widen a little at the suggestion. This was not exactly how he envisioned his first meal in Kalispell. Not wanting to offend the ladies, he smiled apologetically. "Er...no ma'am the only thing I'm looking for at the moment is a good dinner and I think I better order it now before the diner closes."
He turned to Constance, "I'll take a steak if it's not too late. If it is, then I'll just take whatever's available."
@ [Javia]
@ [Wayfarer
Constance stood there as Granny Miggins cackled her very very inappropriate remarks toward a total stranger. Perhaps she was becoming addled due to her certainly advanced age? But still it was so out of place in a public setting like the diner. She almost turned on the woman to snap at her but this was not her business and Clara wanted happy customers. Granny was a fairly steady customer too. But she did spare the woman a sharp glare.
The newcomer's eyes widen a little at the suggestion as he smiled apologetically. "Er...no ma'am the only thing I'm looking for at the moment is a good dinner and I think I better order it now before the diner closes."
He turned to Constance, "I'll take a steak if it's not too late. If it is, then I'll just take whatever's available."
"I am so sorry, sir, please do not think it is a frequent occurance here in Lickskillet," Constance kept her voice tempered enough only he could hear it.
"And no, the cook is still back there, that means we serve the full menu unless of course we run out of something," she now smiled.
"Very well, a steak then. How would like it done? Do you want the potatoes and green beans with that? Fresh bread comes with it too and butter or honey should you prefer. Also would like something to drink with it? We have coffee, tea, milk even. Sorry but we do not serve alcoholic beverages, there is a saloon in town."
"Smokey! Sic em, boy, sic em!"
"I am so sorry, sir, please do not think it is a frequent occurrence here in Lickskillet," Constance kept her voice tempered enough only he could hear it.
Granny frowned, the girl needed to speak up, she could hardly hear a word she was saying!
"And no, the cook is still back there, that means we serve the full menu unless of course we run out of something," she now smiled.
Mrs Miggins nodded approvingly: she might not have always gotten on with her curiously over-serious granddaughter-in-law, but she had to admit that she was a hard worker.
"Very well, a steak then. How would like it done? Do you want the potatoes and green beans with that? Fresh bread comes with it too and butter or honey should you prefer. Also would like something to drink with it? We have coffee, tea, milk even. Sorry but we do not serve alcoholic beverages, there is a saloon in town."
"Don't you worry, son" Granny Miggins cackled from the corner "I can pass you a bottle o' chill tonic if'n you feel in need of a slug!" she offered, pulling a bottle half out of her carpet bag. "Fer medicinal purposes, o' course!"
"Very well, a steak then. How would like it done? Do you want the potatoes and green beans with that? Fresh bread comes with it too and butter or honey should you prefer. Also would like something to drink with it? We have coffee, tea, milk even. Sorry but we do not serve alcoholic beverages, there is a saloon in town."
Mark was about to answer when the old lady spoke up again...
"Don't you worry, son" Granny Miggins cackled from the corner "I can pass you a bottle o' chill tonic if'n you feel in need of a slug!" she offered, pulling a bottle half out of her carpet bag. "Fer medicinal purposes, o' course!"
After a brief glance at Granny Miggins, Mark turned to Constance, "Well done and I'll take everything including the bread, butter and honey. A coffee will be great."
It had been a few days ride to Kalispell after eating beef jerky and beans for most of the trip, a big meal was what he needed. As soon as the waitress had his order, Mark addressed Granny, "Thanks for the offer, ma'am but no. I'd feel guilty for depriving you of your medicine if I did. Besides I'll probably head over to saloon after I finish having dinner."
@ [Javia]
@ [Wayfarer
"Very well, a steak then. How would like it done? Do you want the potatoes and green beans with that? Fresh bread comes with it too and butter or honey should you prefer. Also would like something to drink with it? We have coffee, tea, milk even. Sorry but we do not serve alcoholic beverages, there is a saloon in town."
"Don't you worry, son" Granny Miggins cackled from the corner "I can pass you a bottle o' chill tonic if'n you feel in need of a slug!" she offered, pulling a bottle half out of her carpet bag. "Fer medicinal purposes, o' course!"
Now Constance did give the old bat a hard look. Did not the woman ever learn proper manners or maybe she just was too senile.
But the man started clarifying his order, after a brief glance at Granny Miggins, Mark turned to Constance, "Well done and I'll take everything including the bread, butter and honey. A coffee will be great."
"Yes sir, sounds good. I will go get this started and bring out your coffee right away," Constance left the poor man to deal with Miggins, she certainly did understand why Clara did not like this woman. In their free time conversations, the brunette had mentioned this person more than once and never anything positive.
Well, time to let her employer know the old witch was annoying a customer.
"When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia - it's boy pickin' time for me"
As soon as the waitress had his order, Mark addressed Granny, "Thanks for the offer, ma'am but no. I'd feel guilty for depriving you of your medicine if I did. Besides I'll probably head over to saloon after I finish having dinner."
The old woman just cackled "Well, you be careful, Sonny. There's a lot o' scarlet wimmin in that place as 'd gull a young tenderfoot like yerself!"
She was joking, of course, the enormously tall man must've been approaching 40 and looked like he'd 'ridden his hoss around the block' more'n a few times.
Meanwhile, the back door to the kitchen had flown open and a blur of green gingham, white apron and blindingly ginger hair had burst in carrying a burlap sack. It was Carrots, and she'd just returned from an emergency run to the grocers to top up their supply of, ironically enough, carrots.
She entered the kitchen just at the same time as Connie came in from the dining area at the front.
"Hey Penny!" she gasped and then remembering herself interpolated a quick "Oh, I got the carrots, Mrs Lutz, but they ain't the best, we'll probably have to throw away more'n we use. Still, Jimmy Miller'll give us something for the waste for his hogs..." she shook her head free of this mouldy carrot talk, for there was something much more important to discuss.
"... Penn'... is there a big tall feller out front? Muley Dickens says the new County Sheriff's in town, a Mister Harper, and he's powerful tall and a real dish! Oh! I mean, Muley didn't say he was a dish, just that he was tall and he didn't think he was married, but my sister saw a big tall feller walk in here a couple o' minutes ago and I wondered if'n it was him. Hersh said he was pretty decent lookin'"
Stephens Colquitt had the uncanny ability to run around doing chores faster than anyone else on God's sweet Earth and yet still manage to talk to half the towns population en route. Frenetic was the word. The busy girl was already halfway through emptying out the new carrots and chopping up what they'd need for tomorrow's pies as she carried on her jawin'.
"Sorry, Mrs Lutz, I know you don't like us talkin' 'bout the customers like this, but it's all right fer you; you got right handsome husband and that bonny little baby, and Penn's got that dreamy Mister Gibbs, what's so good lookin' and manly, but us gals what's left on the shelf, we gotta hustle every opportunity what comes ur way."
Chop chop chop - she outdid the town's outlandish Samurai Deputy Marshall with the rapidity and deftness of her blade work.
"Say, what's he ordered, Penn'? You want me to fetch anything out fer 'im? You kin carry on with the carrots" she offered hopefully.
Constance entered the kitchen with a slip of the new customers order,"This one wants a steak. We still got time for that? Sorry, but I told him yes."
Clara nodded, "Of course I will get right on that."
"Hey Penny!" Stephens gasped and then remembering herself interpolated a quick "Oh, I got the carrots, Mrs Lutz, but they ain't the best, we'll probably have to throw away more'n we use. Still, Jimmy Miller'll give us something for the waste for his hogs..."
"Trim any bad parts off, they'll have to do," Clara nodded very busy with starting on the steak.
"... Penn'... is there a big tall feller out front? Muley Dickens says the new County Sheriff's in town, a Mister Harper, and he's powerful tall and a real dish! Oh! I mean, Muley didn't say he was a dish, just that he was tall and he didn't think he was married, but my sister saw a big tall feller walk in here a couple o' minutes ago and I wondered if'n it was him. Hersh said he was pretty decent lookin'"
"That's who I just waited on as a matter of fact and yes he is most impressive looking to be true," Constance smiled.
"Sorry, Mrs Lutz, I know you don't like us talkin' 'bout the customers like this, but it's all right fer you; you got right handsome husband and that bonny little baby, and Penn's got that dreamy Mister Gibbs, what's so good lookin' and manly, but us gals what's left on the shelf, we gotta hustle every opportunity what comes ur way."
"There is a time for such things, Stephens (no way was Clara calling the girl Carrots), but that is not now. You are working," Clara pointed out in a calm tone of voice.
Her new employee attacked those carrots with enthusiasm, chopping away.
"Say, what's he ordered, Penn'? You want me to fetch anything out fer 'im? You kin carry on with the carrots" she offered hopefully.
Clara answered that one immediately, "No, I hired you for kitchen duties. Constance does waitress duties. Perhaps in the future I may allow you to wait on customers."