Dear Margo
Hey gal. My my things here in Red Creek have sure gotten exciting lately. This new Marshal I was tellin you about sure aint took no time to kick the bobcat if'n you know what I mean. Done got the town all stirred up. He took a posse up in the hills the other day after that outlaw what killed the Sheriff and things went bad. Couple of local boys got killed. And that young fella I mentioned, the school teacher's husband? I guess he done saddled up with the killer and got himself shot by the Marshal. Damn fool.
Whole town feels like it's on edge. That asshole that owns the joint at the end of town has been tryin to stir things up against the Marshal. I don't know, he seems alright to me. He was in here last night and well, showed us all something I think.
It was around 10 o'clock or so and the place was pretty full. Usual local crowd and some rowdy trail hands that I believe have a herd camped out on the plain nearby. The Marshal was here and I could tell he had already been drinkin some earlier. He came in with that young slick "Shots". Now the two of them together is a damn sight girl. Thought I was gonna have to break out a horse whip to keep my girls off of their table. Now Shots is sweet on my head girl Lily, so she was sittin with the two of them. Snake I ain't figured out just yet. The first couple of days he was in town he was certainly fond of my gals and sampled quite a few of them. Then something changed and I ain't sure what it is yet. He's still friendly to em and all, and has been buyin em drinks and the like, but ain't "been" with any of them in a few days. I am tryin to work my charms on him, but he's a hard nut to crack.
Anyway the three of them was a sittin at the table sharing a bottle. Now there is this old timer that lives here in town that once in a while will come in the place for a spell. He's an old drunk, but rumor has it he used to be a bigshot Indian fighter or something. I know he usually does his drinkin down at the Noose with the other bums and such, but like I says, once in a while he comes in here. Nice enough fella, never causes no trouble, just a little, rough looking, I guess. His name is O'Mally, but most folks call him "Fingers". He told me once I reminded him of someone he lost a long time ago. He was so sad when he said it, I felt bad for him. Well now this fella came in last night as well. I noticed him kinda hidin out at the end of the bar sippin on a beer. I stopped by to say hi.
"Howdy Fingers. How you been keepin these days?'
"Evening Miss Rosie." he replied, "Best that I can I suppose. You are lookin pretty as a painting tonight Ma'm."
"Why Fingers, you do know how to charm a gal don't ya? What brings ya in tonight?"
"Bah," he said and wrinkled up his nose," that damn fool Bullard is runnin his mouth down at his turdhole of a joint. He don't know shit for shit, that much I can tells ya!" I laughed.
"I heard he was tryin to cause some trouble today with the new Marshal." I said as I refilled his beer." On the house Fingers."
"Thank ya Ma'm." he said "One thing I have learned Miss Rosie, is that people are right quick to listen to idiots! I ain't got the patience fer it. This new lawman might not be worth a rooster's dick as far as I know, and I don't rightly care to tell ya the truth, but Sheriff Barker was always good to me. If this new man is going after the bastard that killed him, then I stand behind him. Don't make no sense to try to stop him before he has a chance to prove his self. If ya get my meaning Ma'm."
"Well Mr. O'Mally!" I smiled at him."That might be the most words you have ever spoken to me at once in the whole damn time I have known you! They really musta got you worked up tonight didn't they?"
"I didn't mean to ramble Miss Rosie. I know you are busy." He seemed embarrassed.
"No Fingers, it's alright. I like talking to you. You just go ahead and spend your night at my bar tonight. You are always welcome." I reached out and patted his gnarled hand.
His smile beamed at me. "You are as kind as you are pretty Ma'm. Thank you."
Just then this big, fat, sweaty figure kinda forces his way to the bar. He just about knocked Fingers' beer out of his hand. "Evening Mr Dukes." I said with a forced smile. "What can I get for you?"
"Whiskey. And not the cheap swill you sell these cowboys." He had a high pitched, nervous kind of voice.
"Yes sir." Johnathon Dukes is the owner of the Town Bank. You know I hate to talk bad about people sis, ........ shut up, ....... but this fella just always rubs me the wrong way. One of those people who just know they are better than everyone else and aint afraid to show it. A man who thinks that because he has money he is above reproach. Plus he just strikes me as a sleazeball. None of my girls like him. They all charge him three times as much as everyone else, and still complain about him. Well I noticed Fingers was staring at him with a disgusted look on his face. Dukes nodded his head at Fingers but the old man turned away without a reply. I chuckled and decided I liked Fingers even more than I thought.
Well a little bit of time went buy and the place got more and more crowded. And a little bit more rowdy as well. I think the excitement of the day was wearing on folks and business was good. I had a chance to talk to the Marshal when he came up to the bar.
"Well well Marshal Johnson," I said "I was beginning to think I musta made you mad somehow the way you been ignoring me all night."
"Not at all Miss Rosie." I could tell right then that he was pretty well into his cups at that point. His eyes were glassy and he was slurring his words just a touch. "I been treated right well here. And please, call me Snake."
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