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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2738548" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 158, “Return to Tombstone” , Sunday, January 22nd, 1882, 9:00 A.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>Kate was the last to board the stagecoach when Chuck Nevers shuts the door to the stage. There were four other people on board, three of whom Kate recognized. The one that she doesn't recognize is dressed as a prospector, with dusty and patched cloth clothes and a scraggly beard. Another one who she recognizes by face but not by name is a tall handsome young man in rancher's clothes who played at Tony Lucky's table the previous night. The woman on the stage is Vera Blake, owner of the Drover's Hotel, the restaurant where the group got their first meal in town three weeks ago this day. </p><p></p><p>But it is the fourth and final occupant of the stage is the one who causes the blood to drain from her face. The humanoid looks in her direction. Kate is attired very differently now than she had been two days ago, and she had never gotten that close to this man, so it is not surprising that he fails to recognize her. But she clearly recognizes this half-ogre as the survivor of the hunter Dodge's party. </p><p></p><p>He is also attired differently than he had been two days ago. He is now wearing a Confederate Army uniform, one clearly made for a humanoid of his size. Pinned to the front of his military hat is the Southern Cross of Honor, one of the highest honors that the Confederacy had awarded to its troops. Looking at the creature she can now see that this half-ogre is far too old to have been on of Dodge's sons and concludes that the uniform was the one that this man had worn in the war.</p><p></p><p>Katherine pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her forehead, hoping to cover her lapse in composure as a passing faintness. Four hours on the stage with Dodge's companion did not promise to be pleasant. What shocked her as much as his presence was the uniform. </p><p></p><p>Grey uniforms were the stuff of her nightmares as a child. Her family were abolitionists, and her Father had fought in the war between the states. That Dodge's companion would fight for the Confederacy, against those trying to free his countrymen turned her stomach. She moved her eyes away from him as casually as she could manage. "Good morning," she said politely. "Lovely day for a ride, isn't it?"</p><p></p><p>Vera Blake replies "Why yes. You look familiar." The young man says "Indeed, you're the piano player at the Lone Star aren't you?" She replies, "Yes, I saw you at one of the tables last night. And we met when I first arrived in Promise City, Mrs. Blake, I had my first meal here in your establishment. I'm Mrs. Katherine Kale. I'm sorry, sir, I didn't learn your name last night."</p><p></p><p>"Norman Kelley" he replies. "Nice little town you have there. Made for a nice break." The prospector speaks next and Kate recognizes his accent as being from either Alabama or Mississippi. He says his name is Lawrence O'Hara, but to call him Larry. Larry and Norman continue to converse with each other for the next few minutes. Larry works a claim west of Tombstone while Norman works for the Western Union Telegraph Company.</p><p></p><p>Kate kept one ear on the men's conversation even as she sank back into herself. The mention of the telegraph reminded her that she should check at the office and at the post office to make sure there was nothing for her. Any letters or messages her family might have sent before the moved might not have been forwarded. Her eye met Mrs. Blake’s and she smiled slightly, unsure what to say. "You have business in Tombstone?"</p><p></p><p>Vera replies "Yes, shopping. I usually go there every other Sunday to purchase food, beverages and other supplies for the restaurant. I saw you didn't load up any luggage. Why are you going to Tombstone?" "I... My husband is buried there." Kate paused for a moment. "I'm going to visit, and to arrange for the monument." Vera places her hand on Kate's and says "I'm sorry." Kate replies, "Thank you." </p><p></p><p>The carriage is silent for a while. Then the prospector Larry turns towards the half-ogre and says "I served with Stevenson's Division under General Stephen D. Lee with the Thirtieth Alabama. Saw some pretty tough combat at the Siege of Vicksburg. What about you?"</p><p></p><p>The half-ogre replies in a surprising articulate South Carolina accent "Thirtieth Alabama? I knew a officer from that group, a Colonel Charles M. Shelley." "He was Brigadier General Shelley when I served with him" Larry exclaims. "And you Sir, where did you serve?" The half-ogre replies, "I served along my master who was also my brother. He began as a Major with the First South Carolina Cavalry. We served in a variety of units following that, eventually becoming an independent artillery and scouting unit."</p><p></p><p>Kate kept her face away from them, looking out the window. She wished suddenly she had just saddled the stallion and rode to Tombstone herself. She wasn't sure she could take hours of war stories. She settled back and tried to avoid thinking about what they were saying, and what she was doing. Their conversation continues but Kate somehow manages to fall asleep. </p><p></p><p>When the carriage hits a rocky patch and she awakens she recognizes her surroundings as an area less than a mile east of Tombstone and they will be at their destination within minutes. Kate roused herself and looked out the windows. Three weeks ago she had traveled away from this place. She hadn't expected to be back so soon. Inside the folds of her skirt she felt the comforting weight of Tom's pistol. "Mrs. Blake, do you know who might be in the Marshall's office this afternoon? Would it be Virgil Earp, or his brother?"</p><p></p><p>She replies "One or the other I imagine." The carriage rides into town and comes to a stop on Allen Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets in front of Big Nose Kate's Saloon and Grand Hotel. It takes a few minutes for Mr. Nevers to come down and open up the door, as the other driver begins to unload the luggage for the other passengers. </p><p></p><p>Kate is relieved to finally be out of the stage. A shiver then runs up her spine when the half-ogre says to her in a deep voice "Ma'am, there is no reason for you to go alert the Marshall. I won't be doing you or your friends any harm. One thing that you should know though is that Master Beau was only trying to protect his family."</p><p></p><p>She replies, "I have business with the Marshall, Sir, it has nothing to do with your presence here. But it is comforting to know that we need have no fear of you. If I may ask a question, though, why would Mr. Dodge point that cannon at us? We had no interest in the creature as a prize. He could have taken it and made all the claims he wanted, we would not have interfered."</p><p></p><p>He lowers his voice and moves closer so that he is out of earshot of the others and answers "Ma'am, it had nothing to do with the critter. From your accent I gather you're a Yankee. I know that they don't approve of magic up yonder. Well, down south is the same with humans. With any of ogre blood who use magic it's a capital offense. And Dodge would have been executed for allowing it. </p><p></p><p>We hadn't seen y'all hunkered down by the cave when we first came over the ridge. Jabby saw the critter and started using his magic before we saw ya. If you had told the authorities what you'd seen it would have been the end for all of us. Master Beau only saw one way out of it. Can't really tell you anything more since I was down with the critter instead of up with the others when the shooting started. </p><p></p><p>Know this though, I'm a sharpshooter. I don't miss. My shots up at y'all were meant to drive you back into the cave, not kill ya. I especially don't take to killin' of women. That bright red hair of your friend makes for a perfect target, but I shot her leg instead, to keep her from coming after me. My compassion is what got my brothers and nephews killed. I shoulda stopped the one with the big gun before he got to use it. That's something I'll have to live with. But it was a fair fight, everyone was just defending themselves, and that's what I'll be tellin' the folks back home."</p><p></p><p>She replies, "I appreciate that, and I'm sorry it ended that way. Especially now that you've told me the reasons. We had no intention of making any reports to the authorities. The death of the creature was our concern, not how it was achieved. You shouldn't blame yourself, if we had all just talked, it could have been avoided. Have an easy journey home, Sir," </p><p></p><p>Kate said as she picked up her travel bag and went into Big Nose Kate's to arrange for a room. Thirty-two-year-old restaurateur Mary Katherine Haroney also-known-as Big Nose Kate had a reputation for being one of the most interesting, best educated and toughest women in the west. She was very surprised to see Katherine Kale at her doorstep. "Why Mrs. Kale, I thought that you had returned to Boston. Whatever brings you back this way?"</p><p></p><p>She replies, "No, I went to Promise City. I'm not sure I could go back to Boston yet. I want to get a nice monument for Tom. But of course, it's a pleasure to stay in your establishment as well." Big Nose Kate gets her a room key and says that she will have a houseboy bring up a bucket of water for her to clean up before supper. Katherine considers asking her something about the Marshall but then reconsiders, remembering that the woman was close friends with the Earps.</p><p></p><p>"Miss Haroney, might you know where I could find Mr. Colby Tucker? I left what few effects of Tom's that I didn't send to his parents with him, and I'd like to reclaim them. It's still early, and there should be plenty of time before supper to take care of it. Oh, and would you happen to know if the stone mason his open on Sundays? That is who I would see about a grave marker, isn't it?"</p><p></p><p>She says that Tucker works over at the O.K. Corral. She is uncertain about the stone mason's hours and suggests that Kate check at the man's house, over on 2nd Street. </p><p></p><p>Kate heads outside. The most prominent building that she saw was the new county courthouse, still under construction. It was funny, she has spent nearly three months here in this town and only three weeks in Promise City, but her newly adopted town felt like a home to her while this town was nothing more than a bad memory. Not only was the name of this town depressing, there was the sights and sounds from all of the different buildings of the Grand Central Mine up upon the hill overlooking the town which added to the gloom. </p><p></p><p>Promise City had only the one noisy smelter and it was only in operation three to five hours a day to accommodate the needs of the town's mines. Tombstone had two, and they smelted not only the ore from the Tombstone area but also that from the towns of Bisbee and Benson. At least one of smelters and usually both were in continuous operation. There was also the loud noises coming from the various pump houses working round-the-clock ever since the Grand Centrals main shaft had first become flooded the previous year. This town was loud, ugly and seemed to have a perpetual shroud hanging over it. Yes, the name Tombstone was certainly appropriate.</p><p></p><p>Katherine deduced to head over to the stone mason's first. It would be better to do her business before she saw Tucker, while her state of mind was still collected. She made her way to Second Street and looked for the house Big Nose Kate had described. Promise City was smaller than Tombstone, so it seemed to take a long time to find it, but eventually she did and knocked on the door.</p><p></p><p>A man of perhaps twenty-five years answers the door. Based upon the name by the door she assumes that he is the stonemason Earl Stack. He is dressed in a long-sleeved tan work shirt and blue jeans, with various tolls hanging from a work belt. "Yes, may I help you?" he asks. She took a deep breath in. Her hands twisted on her small purse as she spoke. "Good afternoon, Mr. Stack. I'm Mrs. Kale. I wondered if you were the right person to see about having a gravestone made?"</p><p></p><p>He replies "Oh yes, please come in. I had been expecting you for quite some time now. Would you like some coffee or tea?" He shows her into a parlor, where two steaming posts are sitting atop a wood stove. While the other room of the house was sparsely furnished the parlor is well decorated with tasteful furnishings and a light wallpaper. The room conveys a subdued and respectful tone to it.</p><p></p><p>"Tea please, thank you." Katherine had a seat in the parlor and spent a moment admiring it. She loved the El Parador for it's people, but she missed rooms like this, and fine places like Big Nose Kate's Saloon. Mr. Stack handed her a cup and she sipped the hot liquid carefully. "You've been expecting me?"</p><p></p><p>Stack replies to Kate "Well yes. My condolences for your loss Mrs. Kale. While I didn't get to knew Thomas very well I could tell that he was a good man. After you came and decided to stay on in town I had anticipated your visiting me about a marker for his grave. Can I assume that is why you have now returned?"</p><p>She says, "Yes. Earlier I wasn't sure what I was going to do, or where the money for the marker would come from. That's a terrible thing isn't it, to have to worry about money at such a time? I didn't know you'd met my husband. But then, I suppose I don't know much about his life here at all. It took so long for letters to travel so far that I only got a few."</p><p></p><p>He replies "I only met Thomas a few times. Once at a store in town and once at the restaurant attached to the Grand Hotel. He seemed to like it here." After a short pause he says "Please tell me what you have in mind for a marker and epitaph."</p><p></p><p>She says, I hadn't thought of anything very fancy. Tom didn't care for that kind of thing. His name and the dates of his life, of course. Underneath perhaps Beloved Husband and Son? I hadn't thought of a verse or anything like that. Nothing seems to say enough."</p><p></p><p>Stack tells Kate. "That sounds fine." He hands her a pad of paper and ink pen and asks her to write out exactly what she wants. He urges her to take her time and give it some thought. He says "I have a number of monuments out back that you could choose from. We could do that now or you could come back later if you would prefer."</p><p></p><p>"I'll look today, thank you. I must return to Promise City tomorrow, and I'd like to make sure everything is taken care of." Kate took the paper and pen and wrote neatly, </p><p></p><p>Thomas Kieran Kale </p><p>Born March 17, 1854-Died October 3, 1881 </p><p>Beloved Husband and Son </p><p></p><p>"Perhaps if I think of a verse I could return? I seem to be blank at the moment. Why don't we go look at the stones."</p><p></p><p>Stack takes her outside through a back door from his kitchen. His back yard is apparently his work area, with rocks and tools throughout the half-acre plot. While most of it is in a state of disarray, he has one roped off section with a dozen finished but other unmarked tombstones. The ropes and poles around it almost gives the impression of a cemetery, probably the what he wishes to convey so that the customer can picture what it will look like when done. </p><p></p><p>Most of the stones are granite, but there are a few made of other less durable stones and one of finely polished marble that he probably had imported to this area. The granite stones are all around three-feet, square at the bottom with a curved top and vary from one to five inches in thickness. Two have pictures carved into the lower sections of the stones of several Greek and Roman deities.</p><p></p><p>"The marble is beautiful, but I'm afraid it would be beyond my means. I'd like one of the heavier granite, I think." She stopped for a moment and thought of Tom's devotion to his faith. "One with the carved figures, I think. How much would that be?"</p><p></p><p>He smiles and says "Working on those is my favorite pastime. I always wanted to be a sculptor, but there is little work available in that field." The one on the right he says was his first attempt and he will sell that one with her requested words carved in for a sum of $ 45. The other he says is his third and most recent attempt at artistry, the one featuring the Goddess Diana, has better detail. He offers that one for a sum of $ 60.</p><p></p><p>"Thank you, $60 sounds quite reasonable. You seem to have some talent. I would not let lack of a patron stop you from pursing your dream. You need to work, of course, but I for one would be pleased to see what you might bring out from the stone." Kate stopped, embraced by her sudden speech. He thanks her and says that with her purchase of his most recent work he now has two patrons, commenting that his second stone had been purchased the prior year by Rebecca King, wife of the Bar-W ranch owner after one of their hired hands had died.</p><p></p><p>She asks, "Does this include the stone's placement, or do I arrange for that elsewhere? And how long would it be until it's ready?" He says that he will arrange for the stone to be placed. He says that it will take him a week or so to carve the words that she wants. He asks if she would like him to place it on Thomas's grave when it is ready or to wait until she can return for formal services.</p><p></p><p>She says, "There was already a small service when he was laid to rest. There isn't really anyone but me to hold any kind of formal service for, but I'd like to be here when you put the stone in place. I'll return in two weeks and we can place it then. Thank you." </p><p></p><p>He thanks her and reluctantly asks her for $ 30 as a down payment for the work. She replies, “I'm sorry, I should have thought of it." Kate reached into her purse and carefully counted out the full $60 and handed it to the young man. "I'm sure the work will be beautiful."</p><p></p><p>Mr. Stack escorted Katherine back through the parlor and to the front door. "Thank you, I appreciate your help," Kate said as he opened the door for her. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Kale. I'll see you in two weeks." </p><p></p><p>Kate started down the street with a sigh. Despite the other things she still had to do in Tombstone, that was the hardest. She headed for the corral, hoping Mr. Tucker would be working on a Sunday.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 2738548, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 158, “Return to Tombstone” , Sunday, January 22nd, 1882, 9:00 A.M.[/B] Kate was the last to board the stagecoach when Chuck Nevers shuts the door to the stage. There were four other people on board, three of whom Kate recognized. The one that she doesn't recognize is dressed as a prospector, with dusty and patched cloth clothes and a scraggly beard. Another one who she recognizes by face but not by name is a tall handsome young man in rancher's clothes who played at Tony Lucky's table the previous night. The woman on the stage is Vera Blake, owner of the Drover's Hotel, the restaurant where the group got their first meal in town three weeks ago this day. But it is the fourth and final occupant of the stage is the one who causes the blood to drain from her face. The humanoid looks in her direction. Kate is attired very differently now than she had been two days ago, and she had never gotten that close to this man, so it is not surprising that he fails to recognize her. But she clearly recognizes this half-ogre as the survivor of the hunter Dodge's party. He is also attired differently than he had been two days ago. He is now wearing a Confederate Army uniform, one clearly made for a humanoid of his size. Pinned to the front of his military hat is the Southern Cross of Honor, one of the highest honors that the Confederacy had awarded to its troops. Looking at the creature she can now see that this half-ogre is far too old to have been on of Dodge's sons and concludes that the uniform was the one that this man had worn in the war. Katherine pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her forehead, hoping to cover her lapse in composure as a passing faintness. Four hours on the stage with Dodge's companion did not promise to be pleasant. What shocked her as much as his presence was the uniform. Grey uniforms were the stuff of her nightmares as a child. Her family were abolitionists, and her Father had fought in the war between the states. That Dodge's companion would fight for the Confederacy, against those trying to free his countrymen turned her stomach. She moved her eyes away from him as casually as she could manage. "Good morning," she said politely. "Lovely day for a ride, isn't it?" Vera Blake replies "Why yes. You look familiar." The young man says "Indeed, you're the piano player at the Lone Star aren't you?" She replies, "Yes, I saw you at one of the tables last night. And we met when I first arrived in Promise City, Mrs. Blake, I had my first meal here in your establishment. I'm Mrs. Katherine Kale. I'm sorry, sir, I didn't learn your name last night." "Norman Kelley" he replies. "Nice little town you have there. Made for a nice break." The prospector speaks next and Kate recognizes his accent as being from either Alabama or Mississippi. He says his name is Lawrence O'Hara, but to call him Larry. Larry and Norman continue to converse with each other for the next few minutes. Larry works a claim west of Tombstone while Norman works for the Western Union Telegraph Company. Kate kept one ear on the men's conversation even as she sank back into herself. The mention of the telegraph reminded her that she should check at the office and at the post office to make sure there was nothing for her. Any letters or messages her family might have sent before the moved might not have been forwarded. Her eye met Mrs. Blake’s and she smiled slightly, unsure what to say. "You have business in Tombstone?" Vera replies "Yes, shopping. I usually go there every other Sunday to purchase food, beverages and other supplies for the restaurant. I saw you didn't load up any luggage. Why are you going to Tombstone?" "I... My husband is buried there." Kate paused for a moment. "I'm going to visit, and to arrange for the monument." Vera places her hand on Kate's and says "I'm sorry." Kate replies, "Thank you." The carriage is silent for a while. Then the prospector Larry turns towards the half-ogre and says "I served with Stevenson's Division under General Stephen D. Lee with the Thirtieth Alabama. Saw some pretty tough combat at the Siege of Vicksburg. What about you?" The half-ogre replies in a surprising articulate South Carolina accent "Thirtieth Alabama? I knew a officer from that group, a Colonel Charles M. Shelley." "He was Brigadier General Shelley when I served with him" Larry exclaims. "And you Sir, where did you serve?" The half-ogre replies, "I served along my master who was also my brother. He began as a Major with the First South Carolina Cavalry. We served in a variety of units following that, eventually becoming an independent artillery and scouting unit." Kate kept her face away from them, looking out the window. She wished suddenly she had just saddled the stallion and rode to Tombstone herself. She wasn't sure she could take hours of war stories. She settled back and tried to avoid thinking about what they were saying, and what she was doing. Their conversation continues but Kate somehow manages to fall asleep. When the carriage hits a rocky patch and she awakens she recognizes her surroundings as an area less than a mile east of Tombstone and they will be at their destination within minutes. Kate roused herself and looked out the windows. Three weeks ago she had traveled away from this place. She hadn't expected to be back so soon. Inside the folds of her skirt she felt the comforting weight of Tom's pistol. "Mrs. Blake, do you know who might be in the Marshall's office this afternoon? Would it be Virgil Earp, or his brother?" She replies "One or the other I imagine." The carriage rides into town and comes to a stop on Allen Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets in front of Big Nose Kate's Saloon and Grand Hotel. It takes a few minutes for Mr. Nevers to come down and open up the door, as the other driver begins to unload the luggage for the other passengers. Kate is relieved to finally be out of the stage. A shiver then runs up her spine when the half-ogre says to her in a deep voice "Ma'am, there is no reason for you to go alert the Marshall. I won't be doing you or your friends any harm. One thing that you should know though is that Master Beau was only trying to protect his family." She replies, "I have business with the Marshall, Sir, it has nothing to do with your presence here. But it is comforting to know that we need have no fear of you. If I may ask a question, though, why would Mr. Dodge point that cannon at us? We had no interest in the creature as a prize. He could have taken it and made all the claims he wanted, we would not have interfered." He lowers his voice and moves closer so that he is out of earshot of the others and answers "Ma'am, it had nothing to do with the critter. From your accent I gather you're a Yankee. I know that they don't approve of magic up yonder. Well, down south is the same with humans. With any of ogre blood who use magic it's a capital offense. And Dodge would have been executed for allowing it. We hadn't seen y'all hunkered down by the cave when we first came over the ridge. Jabby saw the critter and started using his magic before we saw ya. If you had told the authorities what you'd seen it would have been the end for all of us. Master Beau only saw one way out of it. Can't really tell you anything more since I was down with the critter instead of up with the others when the shooting started. Know this though, I'm a sharpshooter. I don't miss. My shots up at y'all were meant to drive you back into the cave, not kill ya. I especially don't take to killin' of women. That bright red hair of your friend makes for a perfect target, but I shot her leg instead, to keep her from coming after me. My compassion is what got my brothers and nephews killed. I shoulda stopped the one with the big gun before he got to use it. That's something I'll have to live with. But it was a fair fight, everyone was just defending themselves, and that's what I'll be tellin' the folks back home." She replies, "I appreciate that, and I'm sorry it ended that way. Especially now that you've told me the reasons. We had no intention of making any reports to the authorities. The death of the creature was our concern, not how it was achieved. You shouldn't blame yourself, if we had all just talked, it could have been avoided. Have an easy journey home, Sir," Kate said as she picked up her travel bag and went into Big Nose Kate's to arrange for a room. Thirty-two-year-old restaurateur Mary Katherine Haroney also-known-as Big Nose Kate had a reputation for being one of the most interesting, best educated and toughest women in the west. She was very surprised to see Katherine Kale at her doorstep. "Why Mrs. Kale, I thought that you had returned to Boston. Whatever brings you back this way?" She replies, "No, I went to Promise City. I'm not sure I could go back to Boston yet. I want to get a nice monument for Tom. But of course, it's a pleasure to stay in your establishment as well." Big Nose Kate gets her a room key and says that she will have a houseboy bring up a bucket of water for her to clean up before supper. Katherine considers asking her something about the Marshall but then reconsiders, remembering that the woman was close friends with the Earps. "Miss Haroney, might you know where I could find Mr. Colby Tucker? I left what few effects of Tom's that I didn't send to his parents with him, and I'd like to reclaim them. It's still early, and there should be plenty of time before supper to take care of it. Oh, and would you happen to know if the stone mason his open on Sundays? That is who I would see about a grave marker, isn't it?" She says that Tucker works over at the O.K. Corral. She is uncertain about the stone mason's hours and suggests that Kate check at the man's house, over on 2nd Street. Kate heads outside. The most prominent building that she saw was the new county courthouse, still under construction. It was funny, she has spent nearly three months here in this town and only three weeks in Promise City, but her newly adopted town felt like a home to her while this town was nothing more than a bad memory. Not only was the name of this town depressing, there was the sights and sounds from all of the different buildings of the Grand Central Mine up upon the hill overlooking the town which added to the gloom. Promise City had only the one noisy smelter and it was only in operation three to five hours a day to accommodate the needs of the town's mines. Tombstone had two, and they smelted not only the ore from the Tombstone area but also that from the towns of Bisbee and Benson. At least one of smelters and usually both were in continuous operation. There was also the loud noises coming from the various pump houses working round-the-clock ever since the Grand Centrals main shaft had first become flooded the previous year. This town was loud, ugly and seemed to have a perpetual shroud hanging over it. Yes, the name Tombstone was certainly appropriate. Katherine deduced to head over to the stone mason's first. It would be better to do her business before she saw Tucker, while her state of mind was still collected. She made her way to Second Street and looked for the house Big Nose Kate had described. Promise City was smaller than Tombstone, so it seemed to take a long time to find it, but eventually she did and knocked on the door. A man of perhaps twenty-five years answers the door. Based upon the name by the door she assumes that he is the stonemason Earl Stack. He is dressed in a long-sleeved tan work shirt and blue jeans, with various tolls hanging from a work belt. "Yes, may I help you?" he asks. She took a deep breath in. Her hands twisted on her small purse as she spoke. "Good afternoon, Mr. Stack. I'm Mrs. Kale. I wondered if you were the right person to see about having a gravestone made?" He replies "Oh yes, please come in. I had been expecting you for quite some time now. Would you like some coffee or tea?" He shows her into a parlor, where two steaming posts are sitting atop a wood stove. While the other room of the house was sparsely furnished the parlor is well decorated with tasteful furnishings and a light wallpaper. The room conveys a subdued and respectful tone to it. "Tea please, thank you." Katherine had a seat in the parlor and spent a moment admiring it. She loved the El Parador for it's people, but she missed rooms like this, and fine places like Big Nose Kate's Saloon. Mr. Stack handed her a cup and she sipped the hot liquid carefully. "You've been expecting me?" Stack replies to Kate "Well yes. My condolences for your loss Mrs. Kale. While I didn't get to knew Thomas very well I could tell that he was a good man. After you came and decided to stay on in town I had anticipated your visiting me about a marker for his grave. Can I assume that is why you have now returned?" She says, "Yes. Earlier I wasn't sure what I was going to do, or where the money for the marker would come from. That's a terrible thing isn't it, to have to worry about money at such a time? I didn't know you'd met my husband. But then, I suppose I don't know much about his life here at all. It took so long for letters to travel so far that I only got a few." He replies "I only met Thomas a few times. Once at a store in town and once at the restaurant attached to the Grand Hotel. He seemed to like it here." After a short pause he says "Please tell me what you have in mind for a marker and epitaph." She says, I hadn't thought of anything very fancy. Tom didn't care for that kind of thing. His name and the dates of his life, of course. Underneath perhaps Beloved Husband and Son? I hadn't thought of a verse or anything like that. Nothing seems to say enough." Stack tells Kate. "That sounds fine." He hands her a pad of paper and ink pen and asks her to write out exactly what she wants. He urges her to take her time and give it some thought. He says "I have a number of monuments out back that you could choose from. We could do that now or you could come back later if you would prefer." "I'll look today, thank you. I must return to Promise City tomorrow, and I'd like to make sure everything is taken care of." Kate took the paper and pen and wrote neatly, Thomas Kieran Kale Born March 17, 1854-Died October 3, 1881 Beloved Husband and Son "Perhaps if I think of a verse I could return? I seem to be blank at the moment. Why don't we go look at the stones." Stack takes her outside through a back door from his kitchen. His back yard is apparently his work area, with rocks and tools throughout the half-acre plot. While most of it is in a state of disarray, he has one roped off section with a dozen finished but other unmarked tombstones. The ropes and poles around it almost gives the impression of a cemetery, probably the what he wishes to convey so that the customer can picture what it will look like when done. Most of the stones are granite, but there are a few made of other less durable stones and one of finely polished marble that he probably had imported to this area. The granite stones are all around three-feet, square at the bottom with a curved top and vary from one to five inches in thickness. Two have pictures carved into the lower sections of the stones of several Greek and Roman deities. "The marble is beautiful, but I'm afraid it would be beyond my means. I'd like one of the heavier granite, I think." She stopped for a moment and thought of Tom's devotion to his faith. "One with the carved figures, I think. How much would that be?" He smiles and says "Working on those is my favorite pastime. I always wanted to be a sculptor, but there is little work available in that field." The one on the right he says was his first attempt and he will sell that one with her requested words carved in for a sum of $ 45. The other he says is his third and most recent attempt at artistry, the one featuring the Goddess Diana, has better detail. He offers that one for a sum of $ 60. "Thank you, $60 sounds quite reasonable. You seem to have some talent. I would not let lack of a patron stop you from pursing your dream. You need to work, of course, but I for one would be pleased to see what you might bring out from the stone." Kate stopped, embraced by her sudden speech. He thanks her and says that with her purchase of his most recent work he now has two patrons, commenting that his second stone had been purchased the prior year by Rebecca King, wife of the Bar-W ranch owner after one of their hired hands had died. She asks, "Does this include the stone's placement, or do I arrange for that elsewhere? And how long would it be until it's ready?" He says that he will arrange for the stone to be placed. He says that it will take him a week or so to carve the words that she wants. He asks if she would like him to place it on Thomas's grave when it is ready or to wait until she can return for formal services. She says, "There was already a small service when he was laid to rest. There isn't really anyone but me to hold any kind of formal service for, but I'd like to be here when you put the stone in place. I'll return in two weeks and we can place it then. Thank you." He thanks her and reluctantly asks her for $ 30 as a down payment for the work. She replies, “I'm sorry, I should have thought of it." Kate reached into her purse and carefully counted out the full $60 and handed it to the young man. "I'm sure the work will be beautiful." Mr. Stack escorted Katherine back through the parlor and to the front door. "Thank you, I appreciate your help," Kate said as he opened the door for her. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Kale. I'll see you in two weeks." Kate started down the street with a sigh. Despite the other things she still had to do in Tombstone, that was the hardest. She headed for the corral, hoping Mr. Tucker would be working on a Sunday. [/QUOTE]
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