Henry S. Guyer II

Other Characters by this Player

Recent Posts

1. 

   One Office, good as another

   June 18

   Speed held the door for Alice and her father, then followed them inside.
    
   "Hello." James Andersen said with a smile. "What can I do for you folks today?"
    
   "Here to buy a ring for the lady, my fiance." Speed said proudly.
    
   "Well then, we have a collection of rings in several styles and sizes. Now if you'll step down here to the case where they're kept we can have a look.
    
   "James Anderson, you step away from that case, I'll help the young woman." Mary Anderson ordered. "Rings an' weddin's, you know as much about them as a field mouse. Now, Alice, I see that you have lassoed the town Marshal. Good catch. And a ring, Marshal? Did you have something in mind?"
    
   "Well, I, ah, well, to be honest, no." Speed replied.
    
   "Good. These rings are okay, mind you. They are alright, nice choices in silver mostly, but there are some in gold. Now, I have a few in the safe that I think you will like much better. Let me get them for you and we'll have a look."
    
   Alice looked to Speed smiling. "You know Mister Guyer, once you place that ring on my finger, the deal is sealed, and you've no way out. My fathers over there looking at shotguns."
    
   "There'll be no need of that Alice, I can promise you that." Speed responded as Mary Anderson came back with a tray of several bands.
    
   "Now Alice, here are the ones I was talking about. Mary said, then added, "Marshal, you just go on over there and look at guns with Amos and my husband." He didn't move right off. "Shoo!  Go on!"
    
   "Yes Ma'am. Speed responded and walked down to where James and Amos were looking at a short barreled shotgun.
   
   
2. 

   The Talk

   June 6

   "The Sight, can't say as I have, but no covens or sabbats, that's something of a relief. The craft, as I've heard it called, could turn a small community like this on it's ear, and I do believe we've had more than enough problems, some still active. Speed said, actually a bit relieved. Something like the superstitions and belief in witchcraft could cause a great deal of trouble for a town that size. Of course he had no idea about covens or sabbats.
    
   Witchcraft as it was known had actually been nothing more than a from of nursing, or so it had once been explained to Speed. Was it magic? Were there spells? That he did not know, but not wanting it in his town he was sure of.
    
   "Well thank you Mister Jolly, it's been most informative." Speed said, then looking at the doctor he continued, "I suppose I should make a call on this Reeve fellow. Seems the man is becoming quite ingrained in our town. And whether or not his involved with either Misses Orr, or the daughter, Anaesthesia, or both is no concern of mine until it is." He looked to Jolly, "Good day to you sir."
   @Javia
   
3. 

   The Talk

   June 5

   "The spirit world is it? Ran into that sort of thing when I was in New York, before moving out here. But I'd supposed that that sort of thing goes on anywhere those who practice that sort of thing might settle out here."
    
   For some time it had been quite the rage in the city, seances were being held all over the city and throughout the boroughs. Not only the well to do, but people all over were participating in such things in spite of condemnation by all of the known religions.
    
   How people become involved in that sort of thing always amazed Speed, because it spread like wild fire, offered nothing positive, unless one considered talking with the dead something positive, But it was not for him to judge, and he was glad to leave it and the city far behind.
    
   "So Mister Jolly, do you know of others practicing the 'dark arts' here in town?" He asked.
   @Javia
   
4. 

   The Talk

   June 3

   "Reeve is it? Don't believe I know of him, but that wouldn't be uncommon with transient folks or visitors for one reason or another." Speed began, "So yes, I'll need to speak with him, but he is not blood related, legal insofar as this Reeve is concerned. Not sure Richard Orr had anything binding with Crabbe, not that it matter, but say over Miss Monahan, highly doubt that would hold water."
    
   So this Reeve fellow was now at the Orr residence, or so it seemed that that was what Jolly meant, besides the insinuations which seemed to include the widow Orr, which, of course, was none of his business it until it was. he had a particular distaste for men that would take advantage of women.
    
   "So then, for the time being, Miss Monahan will in fact be a ward of the county, and Mister Jolly, I would be interested in in who comes forward to handle Crabbe's estate. Oh, and you're saying this Reeve fellow would be Crabbe's attorney as well? Correct?"
   @Javia
   
5. 

   A New Day - New Challenges

   June 1

   "No sir, I believe that will do. Just part of the job Mister Fortner, thanks for your time." Speed said with a smile. "If I should need anything else, I'll stop in. You boys have a good day." He nodded and started for the doorway smiling at Arabella and touching the brim of his hat.
    
   Pushing through the bat wings he stepped out into the fading afternoon sunlight. His plan to ride to the ranch of the Poteet's would have to wait, A though ran though his head, why would a family man be in the saloon drinking and playing cards? And what were the stakes, though the question answered itself.
    
   Why would anyone want the land the the farm sat on? Well, there was an answer to that question as well. It was his business to know about mineral discoveries, and such a discovery by the unscrupulous might well lead to any number criminal intentions.
   @Javia@Preston
    
   
6. 

   The Talk

   June 1

   "I don't believe she had seen him, though I do believe she saw him as he suffered heart failure and the pistol went off. So she did see him expire." Speed said. "That's according to testimony." He did not say from whom.
    
   "May I ask, Mister Jolly, do you have a signed agreement for this 'two for one' you offer?" He asked as pleasantly as possible. "Miss Monahan now has no one to advocate for her, so the county will step into that role." Speed just was not convinced any such offer had been accepted by Crabbe, and should there be a cost involved, Bridget was as good as penniless.
    
   There may be a will, or not, but as his ward she stood to inherit Lorenzo Crabbe's estate, especially any bank accounts he may have. "That being said, for the time being, she is a ward of Flathead County, in and for the township of Kalispell, Montana." He looked to Jonah and nodded.
   @Bongo
   
7. 

   A New Day - New Challenges

   May 29

   Arabella, usually so keen to be the centre of attention, tried her best to sneak in behind the Marshall and, instead of sitting back at the piano, slipped into the crowd and started collecting empty glasses in an anonymous manner. 
    
   "Afternoon. Mister Fortner wanted to see me?" He announced. as  he waited for his eyes to adjust in the dimness of the saloon.
    
   "Why yes," Fortner answered.  "Mr. Hannaberry here says he was out at the Potee place and found Potee's missus hanging inside their cabin, and Potee a'sittin'  on the porch in a drunken stupor.  I sent some of the boys out to help cut her down, seein' that it was the Christian thing to do."
    
   "I would agree." Speed looked at the man, he'd had no interaction with the man since the shooting of Barnes. "Well, sir, best I ride out there and have a look-see for myself. Part of the job. Appreciate you lettin' me know." Speed began, "Sometime drink does a man little good, sometimes, the man that takes the drink, allows the drink to take him." He smiled.
    
   Oooh! What a fibber!! thought Arabella: except, well, that was technically true, it was just the sanctimonious way Fortner described the terrible event as if he had nothing to do with its commission.
    
   "I figured that you oughta know about it.  You see, some of the boys think that maybe Potee had something to do with it.  The last we saw of his missus, they were yellin' at each other, right here in the Star Dust.  She lit outta here like her hair was on fire, and he was so drunk he could hardly sit upright at the card table.  So, I've done my civic duty by callin' you in on it."
    
   "Yes, as acting County Sheriff it would fall to me to investigate." Card table, and drunk as a lord? Now why would he be at the card table? So they were at each other in here, were they?"
    
   Again, the sneaky bar-owner was making himself sound like some kind of a saint! Arabella was too scared of Fortner, Priest and his cronies to say anything, though: she just hoped Jesus would forgive her for her pusillanimous behaviour. 
    
   "A terrible business," intoned Priest, gravely.
    
   "Yes sir, it is, now there's an orphan to be concerned about." Speed pointed out. "On top of everything else the child has no family, no parents, and, no home."
    
   Arabella reached the bar with the empties at this point and put them on a tray to take out back to the kitchen to wash. Listening to that old rattlesnake priest join in this chorus of hypocrisy was almost too much to bear: her own silence on the matter made her feel as dirty and unclean as the glasses. 
    
   "Thanks Arabella for coming to fetch me." He called to her, then, "I'll be riding out to the Poteets, to have a look around. Did you say you brought the body in for Mister Jolly?"
   @Preston@Javia@Wayfarer
   
8. 

   The Talk

   May 27

   He looked to the doctor and smiled, "No, no she shouldn't. I have to feel for her doc, a hard life just got harder." At that moment they arrived at Jolly's funeral parlor. Speed knocked.
    
   Upon their knock, the door opened slowly with the slow funereal pace of a coffin lid being lifted and Mr. Jolly's bushy eyebrows danced above his beady acquisitive eyes as he poked his nose out of the door like a gopher emerging from his doghole on the prairie and sniffing the air.
    
   "Good Day Mister Jolly, It's the Marshal and Doctor Danforth." Speed announced.
    
   "Aye, I ken ye've a customer for me, Marshall. And Doctor Danforth in attendance the noo: I ken ye've a person who's passed beyond a physician's care and into mine. Ochhh... not poor Mrs Matthews?" he queried, worried. Her boy Raymond was his main helper, and very cheap to pay: he couldn't do with the boy
   prostrate with grief at this busy time of the year. But his mother was ill, gravely ill, so it was a good guess.
    
   "No sir, not Misses Mathews. It's Mister Lorenzo Crabbe." Speed explained. "Seems he passed of a heart attack and an accidental shooting, but perhaps the doctor here can shed more light on it for you." He looked to Danforth, who may, or may not, have more to say about the death. the location of the body, or anything else he thought wold be important to the undertaker.
   @Bongo@Javia
   
9. 

   The Talk

   May 26

   "Sure Jonah, but no rush, best look up old Jolly and have him pick up the body. I have to wonder what would have happened without the heart attack. I think maybe Crabbe would have shot Connolly, but, we'll never know." Speed observed.
    
   "Thanks for coming and for clearing up this mess." He added, "The one that's going to be made upstairs will have some untreatable wounds, but that's the price one pays dallying with peoples emotions. I'll head back with you."
   @Bongo
   
10. 

    The Talk

    May 24

    Speed let out  a breath, "according to the young woman, yes, but, that being said, she used word like 'comforted' to convey the affair, and also, used that same word to convey Connolly's relationship with Miss Mundee, of that I could care less, but young Miss Monahan that's a horse of a different color."
     
    "I can do little about it, much as I'd like to. Forcing him to marry her, if I could, would most likely turn him on her, something that needn't happen, at least in this case. As far as understanding what she was doing,  I doubt she's mentally capable of such decisions." Speed was not happy with the situation, and with the inability to do anything about it.
    @Bongo@Bailey@JulieS