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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 4178354" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Two-hundred-eighty-eight “All is well in Promise City“, June 22nd until mid-July During late June and early July of 1882 the major upheavals that the political parties had predicted should their rivals win the election failed to materialize and the Town Council seamlessly picked up where the Promise City Merchant’s Association and Promise City Vigilance Committee had previously managed with the two former groups being officially dissolved. At Mayor Emery Shaw’s suggestion a Sulfur Springs Valley Miners Association was formed as a counterpart to the Sulfur Springs Valley Cattleman’s Association, with Henry Pleasants being elected the mining group’s President while Forest Morand was elected as President of the Cattleman’s Group. Both Presidents were granted permission to sit in on the weekly Town Council meetings and participate in discussions although neither could cast a vote. This ensured that interests of the two primary economic interests were being heard. Discussions were then initated by Mayor Shaw with the railroad about construction of the rail line to connect Promise City with Tombstone. In the absence of Priestess Minerva Florencia her predecessor Reverend Anson Haggler was invited back to Promise City. His earlier removal had been initiated by the Vigilance Committee and Mrs. Rebecca King in particular but with those entities now being removed from the town’s hierarchy there was a minimum of criticism about his love for strong beverages and enjoyment of the game Faro. Revenent Haggler’s lifestyle has become somewhat more respectible in the eyes of his critics since he began courting a prospector’s daughter named Stella and cut back on his extracurricular activities. The month falls into a busy but pleasant routine for Kate. With the elections over and monsters vanquished, she is able to be in school everyday and actually begins to feel like a teacher. She continues to work with the town council on the best way to start a public school in town. Maneul Gonzales asks her to accompany him on his journey to deliver Ruby her puppies but Kate declines, stating the fact that Conrad would not want her to head off on another trip so soon. Her other reason for not going was reluctance to pass on Jake’s message about the Lucky Lady. After another two days Kate finally sits down and writes to Ruby. Before June is over she makes a visit to Mary Kelley. She had already given up her corset some time ago, and now she needed new dresses to accommodate her rapidly growing girth. Dorita teased her, saying she was either having more than one or had gotten her belly up earlier than she’d admitted to. Truth was she had always been such a tiny thing that even a little bit of extra weight showed, and the tell-tale shape developed sooner rather than later. With Mrs. Turner at the Lady now to play piano and help wait tables, Kate stops working there officially, but still steps in now and then to help out. With Jake and Minerva now gone away, and Ruby still gone the Lady is an oddly lonely place. But she had other friends there, and she and Conrad begin to have some dinners there instead of the El Parador so she can keep touch with them. In early July Reverend Haggler preformed several wedding ceremonies, namely Colonel Michael Seawell to Julia Barbeau, Darla Peacock to Michael George and Al Brower to Madge Duprey. Father Thomas Valdez officiated at one unanticipated wedding ceremony, that of the Yavapai elf elder Jadito to his mate of several centuries, Alajandra Jimenez. Several engagements were also announced including that of schoolteacher Meghan O’Hara to her late husband’s brother Shamus O’Hara, town cooper ‘Coyote’ Kay Kaufman to Fire Marshal Jeff Mills and halfling newspaper editor Hez Chumbley to his diminutive sweetheart Sydney Sue. The Governor supported Judge Isby’s ruling regarding the appeal of the hooded rider verdicts and the prisoners were summarily executed by hanging in Tombstone. Mrs. Watkins had an emotional breakdown over the death of the her son Kirby and Bill Watkins sold the Great Western Boarding House to bring her back east to be institutionalized. The boarding house was purchased by Colonel Michael Seawell and his young bride Julia to provide not only a spacious home and for themselves and the Colonel’s son Patrick but also for various other new employees of the Morand-Seawell Mining Company. The building’s name was changed to the Seawell Boarding House. Nellie Hudson, the widow of Baker and hooded rider Don Hudson sold the bakery to Stanley Barker who now spends half of his time baking his excellent cookies. An item discovered by the Seawells at the former Great Western was the hidden diary that had been kept by Kirby Watkins which supplied definitive evidence that Claude Buckley was murdered by Ashley King while Kirby Watkins had acted as his lookout and accomplice. The diary also confirmed the remainder of Grant Porter’s testimony regarding the hooded riders. Regarding young Mr. Porter, he had written back following his completion of basic training in the Navy that the life suited him well. The town itself became financially responsible for the Hoover Memorial School and with the sole exceptions of Elton Hubbard’s grandson Rory and banker Paul Stevens two children Jackie and Agatha the attendees of the former Moral Values School began attending the Hoover school. The school had enough students to split into two different teams for their own baseball games and also played every-other Saturday against the new school in the neighboring town of Dos Cabezas, that school run by their priest Father Silas Barnes. Now that things are quieter Kate also has the chance to pursue her other friendships, spending more time with Sandra Wainwright, as well as with Mollie Caudell and Meaghan O’Hara. Sandra is one of the few people Kate bothers to personally tell the truth of how her baby was conceived, knowing that Mollie and Meaghan as well as Beth Eaton will confirm it. She finally accepted that those circumstances could not really be kept secret, but didn’t go around proclaiming it herself. There were enough people who knew the truth that word would likely spread. She spends some energy worrying about whatever new priest or priestess would come to fill in for Minerva, and if they would become a thorn in her side. The fact that she would be going to England soon relieves some of that worry. In between her other activities Kate makes the arrangements for her extended absence. Since the first school term would be over that consists of making sure Ginnie has a place to stay. She had taken care of herself for a long time, but Kate doesn’t want her to have any worries, so arranges for her to stay at the El Parador with occasional nights with Meaghan’s brood. She arranges her schedule so three nights a week are for her lessons with Mr. Gonzales, two for ranch work, with the rest of the time flexible. Those weeknights she makes sure to be home by eight and spends the rest of the night with Ginnie. She also went with her teacher to Los Angeles to visit with Maggie Whipple. Weekend mornings while Conrad still slept she works at the ranch and gives him her afternoons, when he often rides out to see her there. They continue to grow closer, enjoying this time free from dangers. Kate begins to feel it is almost time to say “yes,” but also knows she wants to have the baby before marrying again.</blockquote>

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