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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2537973" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 54, “Ruby’s Busy Schedule”, Thursday, March 16th , 1882:Chester comments to Jake, “"I’d be surprised if they can catch Mrs. Bauer. She and that Gomez are probably halfway to Mexico by now." He then asks, "Has anyone seen Nanuet or Sonoma around? Zack Morand told me they know how to get to one of the mines near Dos Cabezas. That one's starting to produce, so I'm going to check out the route.  I'll see you all later. I'm going to get a shave and a haircut." Chester leaves the Territorial Building and goes around the corner to the barbershop. "Afternoon, Bif. I need a haircut and shave, please. Just came from the trial. Tony Lucky and Bauer were sentenced to three months each."Warren asks both men if they have the money to pay the restitution and fine. Both have the $ 25, but neither have much more than that. Buaer asks "Is it true that she took everything?" Earp replies, "Didn't leave anything in the building but the dust." Jake wanders up to where they are talking. "Mr. Bauer, do you think you'll be holding onto that property or might you be interested in selling?" He says, “"Selling? I need $ 300 more to pay my fine or else I'm going to prison. Ain't got no choice than to sell it. I figure one of my neighbors, Fly's Boarding House or the Papago Cash Store might be interested. Figure it’s worth a good $ 450.”Hearing that Kate said sadly from her seat next to Ruby, "Four hundred and fifty dollars.  I had thought perhaps I could buy the building from him, but I can't help feeling that $450 would be better invested in the ranch. And that's if he'd sell it for the fee. He'd be homeless."  "Kate, I told you we would help you and we will." Ruby gave Kate's hand a squeeze. "Excuse me for a moment." Jake tells Bauer, "I might know someone who is interested, want me to ask them about it? I assume they could stop by tonight and see you at the jail if you are." Jake assumes a sympathetic expression. "Sure, not like I have much better to do. Come by soon, they'll probably ship me off to the Territorial Prison soon."  While Jake is talking to Bauer Tony Lucky is waving his hands and attempting to get Jake's attention.Ruby heads up to Judge Isby. She approaches the Judge when no one else is around, "Can I speak with you privately, Judge?" "I um, just wanted to apologize for earlier, the paper thing. It was an honest mistake. I thought my boyfriend was paying for it, like he did for the other paper we bought. I walked in and didn't realize he hasn't seen me pick it up. I just didn't want you to think I would steal anything, none the less a five-cent newspaper." He replies, "I thought that may have been the case, that's why I had the Deputy Sheriff talk to you quietly. One thing you should know about me young lady is that as long as justice is done I'm a happy man." She says, "I really appreciate that. I'm kind of embarrassed about the whole thing, and we're already having trouble with Baxter printing lies about us, I didn't need to give him any help in that department. It's hard enough around here trying to make an honest living. Maybe I can make it up to you? If you're interested, I don't know if you would be, but our cook Maria is wonderful. If you'd like to stop by your meals would be on me, as a gesture of thanks." He replies, "Ma'am, you wouldn't be trying to bribe a Judge now would you?" Ruby gets a horrified look on her face. "No, not at all! What would I be bribing you for? I was only saying thank you for not making a big deal about the newspaper incident, which shouldn't have been an incident at all, it was just a mistake..." Ruby is acting nervous, "Oh, it's coming out all wrong! I should just shut my mouth." " Isby replies, "Just trying to avoid misunderstandings. I'll have to pass on your offer, I try to avoid places that serve alcohol. I'll be leaving town tomorrow anyway so wouldn't get the chance anyway unless you happen to be available tonight for dinner." "Dinner? You'd really like to take me to dinner, Judge?" Ruby blushes and bats her eyelashes a bit. He answers, "Well sure, it's my last meal here in town for another three of four weeks. How about the Promise City Hotel and Restaurant at say, 6:30 P.M." Ruby says, "You know what? I'd really like that. As long as you don't think I'm trying to bride you or anything..." He answers, "Fine, I will meet you there" he says. He nods to her, stands, and heads out the door.Kate roused herself and walked over to Jake in time to hear him ask Bauer about the building and to hear Bauer's response. She touched Jake's arm lightly and whispered in his ear, "I'll go down right after they take him back to the jail. Tony's trying to get your attention," she finished, waving toward the other gambler.  Jake glances back at Tony and groans, but he knew this was coming. He walks over to Tony Lucky. "Bad turn of events there." Tony says to Jake, "Hi ya Boss. Looks like I'm around $ 400 short here. Why don't you pay the man and then I can get back to work and win it back for you.""Tony, what would have happened if Mr. Bauer had decided to look for you a little later in the day. Say at your place of work?" Jake's eyes are hard and his expression unreadable. "I am not pleased. With all the money you make, you don't have any stored away? I'm really torn here Mr. Lucky. Even if you do manage to pay me back how do I know the next irate husband won't be shooting up the Lady?"Lucky replies, "No next husband in the picture boss. Of the two ladies I'm seeing now one is a widow and the other is single. Nothing to worry about there unless they find out about each other, but I don't think that either of them has a gun." "So talk to me about the pay back arrangements, collateral or whatever" Jake sighs. "Make it convincing." Tony says, "Whatever you want boss, you know I'm good for the money. Heck, just ask Job, he's my best friend. He'll put up the cash for me."Jake asks the Marshall, "When do the money arrangements need to be made to prevent Mr. Lucky from going to Territorial Prison?" Warren says, "Well, we were going to transfer him to Tombstone tomorrow. But the town has two stages there on Friday, so we could wait until the evening stage if you need more time to come up with the money." "I'll stop by later tonight and let you know what we can do." He says to Warren, then turning to Tony Lucky, "Stay out of trouble until them please." Ruby heads back to Kate shaking her head. "I must be insane. Kate, feel my head, do I have a fever?" "Why must you be insane, Ruby?" Kate laughed, declining to feel her forehead. "Because I just agreed to have dinner with Judge Isby," she replies.  Kate says, "Ruby, you get the oddest dinner dates. Why in the world did you go over to talk to him in the first place?" Jake walks back over to the women. A moment later as Jake approached.   Jake had caught Ruby’s conversation with Kate. "I hope you are hungry, you are also having dinner with Mr. Eastman." Jake says matter of factly. Ruby looks at Jake, trying to read his face. "I never told Mr. Eastman I would have dinner with him. But don't you think it's wise not to turn down the Judge? Especially one who already has a bad impression of us? Maybe I can change his opinion." Ruby laughs. "Chumbley asked me to dinner too." "So have dinner with the Judge later in the evening." Jake frowns. "Hermes." He frowns again. "Damn. You need to have dinner with Eastman, he said five right? Have dinner with Isby at six-thirty or so." Jake scratches his beard. "Let's get out of here.""Jake, are you helping me set up dinner dates with other men?" Ruby raises an eyebrow. "Yes Eastman said 5:00 and I did not tell him I would have dinner with him! Do I need to have dinner with him? I am supposed to meet the Judge at the same restaurant at 6:30 P.M." "What a mess. Why don't we go to the Vigilance Committee meeting so I can make more dates with everyone but my boyfriend...What was I thinking?" Ruby starts walking out. Turning to Ruby. "I don't mean to tell you your business, but I'd recommend you don't dine with Chumbley too tonight." He adjusts his hat and heads out the door.As they are leaving Kate asks, "What did Bauer have to say?"   Jake replies, "Seems like he'd rather sell than go to jail. Why don't you find out if his place would be suitable for that school of yours. Then ask around about the fair market price for it. Try Berg or Booth or someone. Let me know what you find out." Then Jake adds, "But find out tonight."  She replies, 'I'm afraid someone will get to it before I can. There's a little time before the committee meeting, maybe I can get a look and still make it. Mr. Berg wasn't here, I suppose I'll have to go to his office. Or I could go see if Conrad is up to going...."  Jake says, "Katherine I'm sure you'll figure it out. I need to get to the bank. Hopefully we'll see you at the Vigilance farce." Ruby comments, "I wanted to go to the bank too... Although I'm not sure I have enough time to do what I want to do," Ruby stops and thinks it over for a moment. "Can I come with you?" Jake offers her his arm, "If you have room for me in your busy schedule?" Ruby stops short. "Jake, you aren't mad, are you? I only agreed because I thought it could benefit us in the future..." her voice trails off and she looks concerned, but she takes Jake's arm and holds it tight. "I won't go to dinner with anyone if you tell me you don't want me to."Jake sighs. "Just frustrated. You are probably right not to turn down the judge." He keeps them walking towards the bank. "I'm trying to help you Ruby. I suppose I should've told you I want you to go to dinner with Eastman, but I didn't want you to worry about it all day." He stops outside the bank and looks her in the eyes and doesn't say anything for a few seconds. "I trust you, right?" She can't tell who he is asking. "Just trust me, I'll get you through the Eastman thing." He doesn't wait for an answer and takes her into the bank. "What did you need money for?""Alright, Jake. I do trust you, whether you trust me or not. I'll go to dinner with Eastman if you want me to." "Money? I don't need money. I wanted to introduce myself to the owner of the bank. Plus I wanted to, um, check on something on my account." Ruby shrugs. "What do you need money for?" Jake looks down at his feet and blushes a bit. "In case I decide to save Tony Lucky and buy Katherine her damn school." He them moves quickly to the bank employees to withdraw $800 from his account. Ruby stands behind Jake while he withdraws his money. "You going soft on me, Silver Jake Cook?" she whispers in his ear.  "Don't start on me today." He says without turning around. "What did I do?" Ruby says out loud, maybe to Jake, maybe to no one. Minerva had stopped back at the Comstock house to grab some lunch and freshen up and then walks over to the town hall. The building is empty at the moment. Nobody seems to even be around this end of town at the moment. Minerva goes back home and borrows a wheelbarrow, a hammer and some nails from Beatrice. She loads the wheelbarrow up with five tapestries and pushes it back to the empty town hall.  “O.K. Luna, lets set the mood." She spends the rest of the afternoon hanging tapestries about the room. Three tapestries are of Bacchus more commonly referred to as Dionysus in this hemisphere. In the first scene Dionysus is seated upon a throne at the right hand of his father Zeus. They are both imbibing. The second scene portrays the most important spring festival of the year, The Festival of Dionysus . It is a beautifully joyous scene. A group of men are merrily playing music on a lush green field studded with flowering fruit trees and new growth. Happy families are dancing, eating and drinking while birds fly in a blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds and fat cattle graze in the background.  The third tapestry is horrifying. A sharp contrast to the previous idyllic image. Dionysus stands at the gates of Olympus laughing down upon Lycurgus, King of the Edonians. The maddened king holds a pair of shears and is pruning the nose, ears, fingers and toes of his son’s corpse. While the land lays torn and barren all around them. The fourth tapestry is equally hideous. Depicting the King of Damascus being flayed alive as punishment for his opposition to Dionysus.  And the final tapestry, the largest and most compelling of all, is the one that Minerva hung for Sunday’s sermon depicting the 12 heavenly powers with Jupiter is sitting in their mist. Neptune, the ruler of the sea, holds his trident and appears to have just smitten the earth from which a horse has leaped forth. And the goddess Minerva depicted in helmed head with her shield covering her breast is shimmering with power.  Minerva finishes the job, considers the affect of her setting, brushes her hands together and exclaims to Luna "Ah, Bacchus does loves drama! I hope he will be well pleased with the stage we have set. Now we just have to wait and see what the players do!""Well, isn't that colorful" Judge Lacey's deep robust voice exclaims as he walks into the building." While he and Minerva talk several men come in carrying chairs from the Alhambra Saloon to set up for people to sit in. A small crowd starts to gather as well and the men head over to the Comique to borrow more chairs. Minerva recognizes a number of faces from Sunday's worship service. Lacey tells her "The actually Committee won't be here until time for the public meeting to start. They're over at the Great Western Boarding House now having their planning meeting."Minerva says, "I was not invited to this meeting, nor am I sure that I want to walk into the lions den unprepared. I have heard rumors that I am not what the committee requested for a new preacher.  Do you think it would be wise for me to attend this meeting, Senor Lacey? "Back at the bank, Jake gets his money. "If you are going to do any business here, I'll wait if you want." "Sure you can wait, if you want to." When Ruby gets to the front of the line she smiles sweetly at the teller. "I'd like to check on my account please." She grabs a piece of paper and scrawls something on it and passes it forward to the teller. "Can I do that?" Nervous at first he is getting held up he relaxes after reading the note. He looks up and Ruby smiles and she winks at him. "Sure Miss West, we can do that." "Also, I'd like to meet the owner of the bank, is he here?" "No ma'am Mr. Stevens is not here right now. Is there something else I can help you with?" "No thanks." Ruby walks back over to Jake. "I'm ready. Are we going to the Vigilance Committee hearing? I thought we could give Miss Florencia some friendly faces. She's going to need them.""We ought to hear what is said in any case. I don't know if our support would be a help or hindrance to her." Jake makes a grimace. "Especially the Vigilance bunch." As they are walking over he says, "I was leaning towards paying Tony's fine and then have him pay me back. I might make him more loyal, and look good to the other staff. I know you don't particularly care for him, but he does have regulars." He glances to her. "What do you think?"She takes his hand as they walk. "I think I told you earlier that it's up to you. And now you're talking about your own personal money." "Ok, my opinion, I wouldn't want to lose the customers, and I don't want you to have to work all those extra nights when you should be spending them with me." Ruby runs her free hand through her hair. "If you are going to give Tony the money I wouldn't necessarily count on getting it back, unless you take it out of his pay and even then you might not. What happens if one of these crazy guys comes to the Lucky Lady and one of us gets shot?" Ruby pauses. "I guess I had more to say about that than I thought." "As for liking him, he doesn't look at me any different then plenty of men around. But if you do help him out and he comes back, why don't you watch for it, then tell me what you think." "So, did I help?" They look up and they are at the half-built town hall. Jake chuckles. "Ya. You think I should do it but wish we could put him in jail." The step aside as men carrying chairs make their way inside. "I'll probably do it, but I'll make him squirm first." Ruby says, "It's like you can read my mind... make sure to make him squirm extra special, just for me. Then you can tell Kate you did it for her, she's offended that he slept with a married woman. You and I both know better though, right?" They make their way inside and step out of the way in back. Near the front they see Mr. Lacey and Minerva talking. Jake starts laughing again. "Some of those tapestries are just what the vigilance committee needs." Ruby scrunches her nose. "Ugh, Mr. Lacey." Ruby looks around the room at the tapestries. "Um, what she is trying to do? Those two are hideous." Ruby points to the obvious unhappy ones. "She must be very clever or very crazy." "She's certainly bold." He points the ones Ruby called hideous. "Pretty simple message if you ask me. Defy the god of drink and suffer." Ruby looks at Jake with some admiration. "You're so smart. I didn't see that." Ruby faces Jake. "Um, about dinner, does it matter where I go with Mr. Eastman, George, I should say? I don't want to go to the same place I'm supposed to meet Judge Isby at. I was thinking of taking him to the El Parador," Ruby grins. "That might chase him away on its own."  He replies, "I don't think it does. You may be right about the El Parador, it is a friendly place for you. He may have made plans someplace else, but who cares what his plans are, right?" He then looks at her funny and says, "I'm not sure what you mean we know better?"She says, "Right, I don't care what his plans were, I wasn't figuring on going to dinner with him at all. But if he loves me he'll do what I want, right?" Ruby smiles devilishly. "We know better means we both know Tony wasn't exactly the one who was in the wrong, being he wasn't the one who was married." Ruby pauses for a moment. "But I was also assuming you might have slept with a married woman or two in the past...maybe I'm mistaken?"Jake looks around to make sure no one is close enough to hear. "I have. Mostly I didn't find out until afterwards that they were." He smiles a broad smile, "Ask me another time about a funny story about that." Then his smile fades as he continues, "A couple times I guess I knew and was too drunk to care. I never chased one, didn't seem right." He takes off his hat and runs a hand through his hair. "If they're chasing after me there wasn't any commitment anyway I figured."She replies, "I figured as much. And I will ask you sometime about the funny story. But it didn't seem right?" Ruby takes Jake's hat out of his hands and puts it back on his head, adjusting it until it is straight. "Are you telling me that somewhere inside you respect the commitment of marriage?" Ruby raises any eyebrow and looks at him in disbelief."Sounds funny when you say it." He admits sheepishly. "No, actually. I respect a person's word if they've proved to me it can be. Most folks are lyin', thievin', cheatin', murderous scum. They get what they deserve, so I have no problems giving them back what they are dishing out to others." He raises and eyebrow and smirks. "Can't help it if I happen to do those things better than they do." He moves his hand across his face as if to wipe the expression off. "The rest, well, I guess I leave them alone." He shrugs. "So who am I to judge which married woman is virtuous and which ones a slut? Until they show their true colors." He scratches his chin. "Of course there is the matter irate husbands with guns."She interjects, "Or irate wives with guns, but lucky for me most of them would rather shoot their husbands than me." "Well, I guess it's good to know you value someone's word, someone that you trust anyway. Everyone needs to have someone like that, no?" Ruby cocks her head, then adjusts Jake's hat again. He says dryly. "It's not the hat, must be my head is on crooked." He forces down the urge to push his hat back. "Yes, I believe everyone needs at least one person like that. Almost like air."  He waves to Minerva. "I don't know if we are an asset or a liability to her, but at least she'll know we are here.""I'm guessing liability, if they know we're friends with her." Ruby waves and smiles at Minvera but continues speaking as she does, "I'm sure no matter what she does we can come up with something to anger them even more. Maybe I'll pop a few buttons on my dress," Ruby laughs. "That's what friends are for anyway, right?"Kate had left Jake and Ruby to work out the dinner situation and found Ginnie. "Let's go take a look at Mr. Bauer's building. It's newly empty, and it might serve our purpose." They hurried out into the street toward Bauer's Union Market. It would take them not far from the El Parador. Kate made a quick decision and detoured to Mr. Booth's house where she knocked firmly on the door.  She hears some rumbling around inside.  He then answers the door. His necktie is unfastened but other than that his is his neat and polished self. She notes that the room behind him is clean and presentable, the four posted bed in the center of the main room neatly made. "Katherine, how wonderful to see you," he exclaims."I'd think you'd be tired of me by now," she laughed. "I need your help, it should only take a few minutes. I need an opinion of a piece of property. There is a great deal of interest in a school, and a building just opened up that I might be able to use. But I don't know how to decide on a fair price for it. Can you help?" Katherine tried to keep herself still, but excitement got the better of her as she bounced on her toes. "Of course I would be willing to help. Just wait there while I make myself presentable." He shuts the door. He reopens it less than a minute later, his necktie now tied. Kate couldn't resist teasing him just a bit. "You know, I've seen men tie a necktie before. I've tied men's neckties before. Come, this way." A mile away, Nanuet arrives at the ranch.  He sees Sonoma's horse is already corralled there but doesn't see her at the moment. He then notices flint up on top of his hill fiddling with some type of machinery. Nanuet yells up to the dwarf "Howdy Flint! Whatcha working on up there?" He replies, "Nothing really, just an idea that Pete and I toyed with but never got very far. A wind and water powered drill. I came upon it cleaning out the cave. I figured I'd give it one more shot before I give up on mining entirely." Nanuet bounds to the top of the hill where the dwarf is tinkering. "Sounds like something I would know nothing about, but if there is anything I can do to help, just point me to it."The device consists of a windmill around ten feet in diameter as well as a long metal tube going down to the stream with a hydraulic pump at the stream end. The water flows up and pours into a contraption to help turn the mill and continue the screw-like drill that runs ten feet down and moves up the dirt. The screw is weighted by rocks to help it drop. So far a pile of four feet of dirt has built up as the device turns slowly. Flint says "It works very slow, but does it on its own. Should dig around a foot an hour. They key is the side pan that I still need to hook up. The dirt comes up and into the pan which the excess water washes over. Think of it as automatic panning for gold."  Nanuet exclaims, “Wow, very impressive Flint! Again though, the workings of this are way over my head. Can I help you with that pan? Nanuet watches the drill work at it's slow, steady pace then asks, “You think you could build another one of these contraptions if someone gave you the money for it? I think Mr. Jake could use something like this out at his mine. "Flint says, "Nope, his mine doesn't have the stream. Besides, they're professionals, they'll have lots of heavy equipment. This makeshift contraption was all that Pete and I could afford. We got it from a mine that went bust over in Pima County." "Good point about the stream. I just remember overhearing that they were having some difficulties there so I figured it might help." Nanuet scratches his head and looks at the adobe house. "Have you seen Sonoma yet today, I should probably stop in and say hello."   The dwarf replies, "She's down with the sheep. Seems most of that flock she bought were pregnant. March and April is lamb season so she's checking out when the first ones may be due." "Thanks Flint, good luck with your machine." Luc hadn't slept well the night before. He woke up frequently swearing he heard drums and song as if he were at an Indian ceremony. At 4 in the morning Luc woke up for the last time. He lights a cigar and ran his hand through his long hair. He walked over and stared at himself in the mirror. As he looked he could have sworn someone was standing behind him. He turned quickly and no one was there. He sighed and blew out smoke from his mouth. He tied his hair back and dressed. He went down stairs to get some work started. As the day wore on it seemed everyone was off elsewhere. Luc cared little. He just wanted to get some work done to keep his mind from wandering too far.</blockquote>

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