Last of the Cowboys

[poohlive]

Near the turn of the century the cowboy life was begining to die off. Technology began rushing in, people were settling down, getting real jobs, trying to make ends meet as industry got bigger and bigger.

But, truth be told, in this day of transition ther was a last run, more or less. A final urge of the old ways. Everything was crumbling around the old life, but still people perservered.


There is a small town of Keystone, somehwere in the Midwest. It was once a great prosperous town that had many settlers go through it, cavalry and cowboys kept it booming until about ten years ago, when it all dried up. Now the town is just a trickle of itself.

Most of the families that live here are farmers or ranchers. Townspeople that keep it alive, as well as the people who surround it. No train, there is one 20 miles south in a larger city of Carson, already booming from industry.

...and that is where we start off. In this little lazy town of Keystone that is about to be turned upside down.

(this is an open thread, check out the Ooc if you're interested, or give me a PM)

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?p=14382024#post14382024

 

[caela]

Arianna Wilson, better known as Ari to her friends and neighbors, sighed softly as she turned the sign on her door to open. Another day in a small town. One would think that being the only general store owner in town would make for busy days but in Keystone it seemed that things were rarely busy. Most of her days were spent in making sure the store looked presentable and funneling out the gossip from the facts when the older women in town seemed to congregate over by the bolts of cloth. She didn't mind them though, she supposed they had to congregate somewhere, the men had the saloon and the old ladies had the far end of her counter.

She never made them leave unless they started talking to her about marrying again. Having been married once before it was a situation that Ari never intended to put herself in again. She liked her independance, she liked being the owner of her store, and she liked being the one to say what was done with the money she earned. Getting married would take all that away from her.

Like she'd told Mrs. Smith, she'd managed to bury one lousy husband, she didn't plan to saddle herself with another.

Shoving away the bad thoughts of her long dead husband she began to hum softly to herself as she pulled out a rag from under the counter and began to dust down the counter while wondering which of the town's old women would be the first to realize she'd actually worn a dress today instead of her normal denim pants and flannel shirt.

 

[Daisymell]

Sheriff Mackland scanned the main street of Keystone through the dusty window of the Sheriff's Office/Jailhouse. She looked at the hotel, the saloon, some of the store fronts, the dry goods store, and could barely see the blacksmith stall down on the end. She scanned the sky to see the time based on the sun and sighed. The deputy was late as always. She went to her desk and pulled out a long, wooden box containing her father's beautifully 6 shooters. She polished them every night so she just spun them around on her index fingers and holstered them. She then reached behind her grabbing her the shotgun her father purchased her when she was a young girl learning the way of the gun. But since he passed on, she trusted one person and that was herself and maybe....no she couldn't really rely on her deputy.

Samantha or Sam as she was known put on a back holster for her shotgun and then holstered it as well. She then put on the star of her profession and clomped out the door onto the porch of her office which was seperate from the beginning of the board walk along the store fronts. She wondered how things would go today. She took her job very seriously since she was taking over for her father who passed on only a couple of months ago. It was time to keep the law in Keystone and keep the people she respected alive for one more day. She settled her cowboy hat deeper onto her head and sauntered towards the saloon.

 

[DVS101]

Captain Kyle Richards

The sun felt good on his back and shoulders. As it rose behind him it warmed his tired body and made the ride up from Carson more bearable. That, and the fact it was behind him and not shining in his eyes was a relief for his pounding head. He reached down for his canteen and took a big swig of water from it, hoping it would help settle his stomach. He knew he had drank far too much the night before.
Arriving on the train into Carson he had retrieved his horse from the stable car, liveried it and went to the best hotel in town, booking a room. Hell money was no object the goddamn army was paying and why the hell shouldn't he stay in a decent place for at least one more night. The thought of the quarters at the old fort outside Keystone made his stomach turn again.
It had been 18 years since last he was in Keystone and the thought of returning did not thrill him all that much. Back then it was still a bustling jump off for points further west. Somehow though, the railroad missed it and as the times changed everything else in the area Keystone stayed pretty much the same.
He put his canteen back and spurred the horse into a slow trot. He could see the outskirts of the town in near distance. While he was far from eager to arrive, he might as well get this crap duty started.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Chris Murphy

Chris rode into town on an ancient-looking Paint. A good horse, who had seen better days, not unlike her rider.

Entering town slowly, face steely and grim, Chris watched every door and window. Every movement made him look. Every man and woman caught his eye.

In his day, he wore a Colt on his hip, and his arrival in town meant the end of peace til he had raised enough hell to get thrown in jail, or killed enough men to have to skedaddle.

In his day. His day ended a year ago, when a bullet nearly killed him. He hung up his gun (he said forever, but he had started practicing a few nights ago out of sheer boredom) and decided to go 'straight.'

Now, he was a farmer living on the outskirts of Keystone, scratching out a hardscrabble living for himself and a few hired hands.

He tied the horse up to a hitching post, and whispered something in her ear, giving her neck a few friendly swats.

He wore faded, dusty Denims, old boots that had seen better days (nearly everything about Chris had seen better days) a flanel shirt, and a wide-brimmed straw hat.

He tipped his hat to Sam as she passed by, headed for the saloon.

A woman sherrif. Hadn't ever seen it before, but the town seemed quiet since she took over. Took over about the same time he moved into the old Smith farm.

Yes, he had taken a few extra glances at her. She was young, single, strong and smart. She was also the sherrif. No, he didn't want to bury a young wife with a bullet in her heart: He never had wanted to put a woman through that himself, and sure as hell didn't want to go through it himself.

He entered the General Store, and again tipped his hat to the cluster of ladies by the bolts of fabric.

"Howdy, Ari. Got a list of goods need to buy for the Smith ... Well hell, might as well say the Murphy now ... farm. One of my hands will be along in an hour to pick it all up. He's got a load of beans to sell ya too. Oh, and one chicken. Don't ask."

He grinned. Ari Wilson was another one he had looked at twice. A young widow, she knew which end of a man was which. She had made it quite clear however that the end she preferred was the furthest one away from her. No, too independent and cold for Chris to consider.

"Oh Ari, just remembered I want to go ahead n pick up one of those items on the list now. If you got 'em. The Cubans. God, it's been forever since I had a good cigar. Now, don't tell me they ain't in yet cause last week I ordered them special from you."

 

[Daisymell]

Sam touched her hat as Chris, a man who had bought the old Smith Farm, went by and into the General Store. It caused her to stop and again sweep one end of the street to the other. It showed North to South. South was Carson and North was nothing of interest except the old fort that was rarely watched at all. When Sam looked North she could see the battered image of the United States Flag and when she looked South she could see...a rider? Interested in knowing, for a purely professional reason, why there was a visitor, Sam moved towards the south her hands careful to rest on her hips above her guns.

 

[DVS101]

Captain Kyle Richards

The last couple of miles into town were uneventful unless one counted the fact that his headache seemed to worsen. What I need, he thought, was some powders to lift this damn pounding in my temples. (OOC: Aspirin was not invented until 1899 by a German chemist and not widely used in the US until 1915 when Bayer first manufactured it. The "powders" Kyle is thinking about would probably be heroin or cocaine, both used widely at the end of the 19th century to mask pain)
He squinted through the haze and dust kicked up from a slight breeze at his back and spotted a form moving in his direction down the main street, along the buildings. Otherwise, not to his surprise, the town seemed quiet.
Five more minutes of slow riding and he was at the outskirts of the town and the figure he had spotted was now standing, hands on hips just above her guns, a shiny sherrif badge pinned to her chest. A female sherriff, thought Kyle, interesting, don't see many of those. Not that I'm opposed to the notion and from the looks of this one she knows how to handle those guns.
Kyle reined up his horse, touched the brim of his cap in the sherriff's direction and slid from the saddle. His leg ached where he had taken that damn Mexican's bullet five years ago, and he was certainly stiff from his ride. He gathered the reins of his horse and moved around him to stand across from the sherriff.
Tossing the reins around a post he took a few gingerly placed steps in her direction, letting the blood flow back into his legs. His head pounded.
He removed his wide brimmed black hat, with the cavalry insignia prominent on the front, gold braid around the base, and nodded in her direction.
"Good day Sherriff. I'm Captain Kyle Richards, US Cavalry." His deep blue eyes met hers after a quick survey of her from toe to head. He noticed her nearly white blonde hair and could not miss that she was nearly as tall as he. He felt dusty and dirty from the ride and knew his uniform had to be dirty and disheveled. The last thing he had expected was to meet up with the towns sherriff this soon and for that sherriff to be a fine looking woman.

 

[blackopal19]

Mary Beth was absently wiping tables and chairs in the old Inn where she worked as a maid or servor. Basically wherever she was needed. She was humming to herself as she set up some fresh flowers on the tables. Her long black hair was let loose, and her medium tan skin betrayed her obvious Native American heritage. She was relatively new on the job, taking only as a last minute attempt to make money to help save her families horse ranch.

She was oustide, tossing out old soapy water from the boardwalk when she saw the soldier ride in. She couldn't help but stare. She had heard many horrible stories about the white soldiers.

She straightened herself, smoothing out her simple cotton dress before going back inside.

 

[Daisymell]

Sam looked at the man before her and smiled, "Hello Captain. It has been sometime since we have received any new US soldiers, especially calvary. What brings you out here?"

She relaxed and stood with her legs spread her arms and hands now at her sides conveying him welcome but showing him that this was definetly her town. One thing that surprised her were his eyes. He was tall only a couple of inches above her which was almost unusual. She took off her hat to let her hair fly in the slight breeze and watch him closely, only moving her eyes from him when she saw the new maid from the inn come out, Mary Beth was her name.

 

[caela]

"Howdy, Ari. Got a list of goods need to buy for the Smith ... Well hell, might as well say the Murphy now ... farm. One of my hands will be along in an hour to pick it all up. He's got a load of beans to sell ya too. Oh, and one chicken. Don't ask."

Ari arched one brow at the chicken comment but laughed softly as well and offered Chris a smile. She'd wait and see the load of bean the ranch hand brought in, and the chicken too, and subtract their worth from his bill. She was meticulous in her bookeeping and known to be fair about prices. Every rancher in town got one monthy bill and it inventoried both everything they'd bought that month as well as everything they'd sold her and the value they agreed on. There were never any surprises on her bills and in the years she'd owned the store she'd never had a bill disputed.

All anyone griped about was that she closed the store the last three days of every month to make sure all her bookeeping was in order.

Looking over the list he'd handed her she didn't see anything on it she didn't have in stock though she was tempted to tease him about the cigars. They were sitting on her office desk but it was a temptation to tell him they hadn't come with the last shipment. She laughed softly when it seemed like he read her mind and brought them up himself.

"Oh Ari, just remembered I want to go ahead n pick up one of those items on the list now. If you got 'em. The Cubans. God, it's been forever since I had a good cigar. Now, don't tell me they ain't in yet cause last week I ordered them special from you."

"Yes you did and they're here. Why you like those foul things I don't know. Give me a minute to fetch them for you."

She couldn't help but smirk as she turned toward her office. She could see the old ladies at the end of the counter twittering amongst themselves and knew they'd be all over Chris, asking him questions to determine his elegibility, the moment she was out of sight. They were sweet really but with their own children grown and married they felt it was their duty to now take care of the rest of the single folk in town.

Deciding not to make him suffer too long she reappeared before the old women could have gotten too far along in their interrogation and handed him the box of cubans.

"You might want to smoke those slow Chris, according to the supplier the price is going up. It appears the Cuban's have finally caught on to how well their tobacco sells up here and are upping their prices. I'll have your supplies gathered up and their cost tabulated by the time your hand gets here. Do you want to come back and haggle or just trust me on the cost of the beans and the, unasked about, chicken?"

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Winston Patterson

Hooves kicked up small dust-devils as the horse and rider came into town just as the morning sun began to peek over the rugged horizon. All was quiet, just the way the rider preferred. The town looked like it had seen better days, but that wasn't unusual in these parts anymore. Times were changing and at a pace that swallowed up some and left others behind. He felt like the latter. An aging bull that did not have a pasture to be put out to. Town to town he had traveled, always away from the impending change that seemed to nip at his spurred heels. He was a dying breed and he was fully aware of it.

He dismounted at the livery stable near the edge of town and kicked at one of the broad doors. "Anyone here!"

"Jus a cotton-pickin minute will ya! I ain't got my drawers on yet!

The door swung open with a grizzly old coot peeking out as he hitched his pants up. "What da ya want stranger?"

"I need a place to keep my horse for a bit."

"Mighty fine mount you have there Mister", as he took the reins from the cowboy.

After taking the rifle from it's boot and shouldering his saddlebag he flipped the old man a dollar. "This should take care of things till I get back. Where can someone get something to eat around here?"

"Try the hotel. Jus down da street a ways, ya cain't miss it", the old man said as he inspected the coin.

The stranger turned to find the hotel, "also, don't scrimp on the sorghum in the oats."

 

[DVS101]

Captain Kyle Richards

Kyle watched as the sherriff relaxed her posture somewhat. She was not casual in any of her movements and he could tell she would not be trifled with in the least. He smiled inwardly, realizing the drunks and general rif-raf of this town would be dealt with swiftly and effectively by this woman.

"Hello Captain. It has been sometime since we have received any new US soldiers, especially calvary. What brings you out here?"

"Well ma'am...um err..Sheriff." Kyle paused a smile breaking out on his chiseled features, "My apologies for the confusion there it's not that often I come across a woman such as yourself in authority. As for me being here, well I'll be blunt, it's a crap detail, pardoning my language. The army needed the remaining stores and such in the old fort inventoried before they decide what the hell to do with the place and, well, they sent me."

Eye contact never wavered between the two, it was not a challenge more of a mutual respect and, to some extent curiousity. Kyle saw her break his stare and he casually followed her gaze. She misses nothing, he thought. He set his peripheral vision on what had drawn the sherriff's attention and noticed a pretty young woman tossing water from a bucket into the street, hea heard the splash a split second later. He could tell from the young woman's appearance that she was no doubt of some indian descent. He could also feel her hard stare even across the distance. Of this he was not surprised, many an indian had reason to dislike the US Army, especially one dressed in a cavalry uniform. It was a shame for Kyle held no ill will towards the natives and had run into more than a few arguments with commanders and peers about the treatment of them.

His gaze and that of the sherriff's met again. "If you don't mind me asking ma'am, how'd you manage to become sherriff of a place like this? Last I was here, oh some 15 years ago, the sherriff was a man by the name of Mackland if I recall."

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"I'll have your supplies gathered up and their cost tabulated by the time your hand gets here. Do you want to come back and haggle or just trust me on the cost of the beans and the, unasked about, chicken?"

Chris glanced over at the old women.

"Well, your hens want me to come back n haggle some, but I don't think they got the chicken on their mind."

One or two rather indignant noises come from the flock, but Chris simply nods again with a grin.

"Ari, Ma'am, I trust ya. Ain't many folk I say that about, not after knowing 'em only three months. But I trust you. Oh, and about that chicken: Make sure Joe has it with 'em. If he don't you remind him that I ain't raisin no pets and I'm not going to cotton to no chicken being hand-fed like a damn dog. Sold or fried, you tell him that!"

Chris took the cigars with a smile, and tipped his hat to Ari again.

Turning, he gave a rather salacious wink to the knot of old women, who agian sounded rather indignant, and walked out of the store.

 

[caela]

Turning, he gave a rather salacious wink to the knot of old women, who agian sounded rather indignant, and walked out of the store.

Ari laughed in delight at the clucking and twittering that went up amongst the older women at Chris' wink before picking up his list and starting to stack his order on the free end of the counter. It wasn't much really, just basic things needed for a ranch and it's hands. Nothing she couldn't handle most days. He'd be getting the last of her salt pork but she had more coming in with the delivery tomorrow so that wasn't a real worry.

Realizing she actually intended to work instead of coming back to let them gossip and interrogate her the old women finally left together. Where they went when they left her store she didn't know. There were about five of them in on a nearly daily basis and a few others that joined them occassionally. They kept her amused on slow days.

Gathering up the rest of Chris' order she checked the clock and knew she'd have time to tally up the bill so she drew out a piece of paper and began to tally everything up in her own neat handwriting. She always kept the lists brought her. That was if there was a dispute over what she sent to the ranch they had an invoice in her writing and she had the original order in their. If for some reason she couldn't completely fill an order that was notated at the bottom of the invoice she sent along and she usually gave the rancher at least a 5% discount on his bill for the inconvenience as well as a notation of the next delivery date from Carson.

Putting the invoice on top of the order she decided to stretch a bit and slipped outside. It was a lovely day for the most part. She noticed the sheriff down the way and would have waved but she looked rather caught up in her conversation with whoever the military man was. While they were talking she gave him a once over and let her eyes slide away. He was certainly pleasant to look at but he was a man and in her experience very very very damned few men could be trusted.

Laughing softly at herself she shrugged as if rolling a weight off her back and shook her head. She had a chip on her shoulder that was for sure and there were times she wondered if she'd ever meet a man that could get past it.

In Keystone...she doubted it.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Chris walked into the inn to get a bite to eat. It was very clean, very pleasant. There were a few people in, eating an early lunch, much as he intended to do.

He sat at a table, and glanced around ... then seeing the new waitress. He didn't recall seeing her before, but didn't know if she were new or just hadn't been working the last few times he had been in town.

He nodded her direction, tipping his hat ... then recalling it was polite to remove a hat in this context, pulled it off and ran a hand through his hair. He placed it on his cigar box, and considered lighting one up. Probably wouldn't be appreciated....

 

[blackopal19]

Mary Beth saw Chris walk in and sit down. Giving him a moment to settle, she then walked over to his table, a glass of cool spring water in her hand.

"What can I get you, Mister?"

She politely placed the glass down in front of him.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"Thanks, Ma'am. Say, you new here? Don't remember seein ya here last time I was in town."

Too young. Too thin. Pretty of course, but Chris didn't think she was Mother material. No, he needed a woman with more meat on her bones, to survive childbirth and child rearing.

"If'n ya got it yet, I'll take steak and mashed potatos."

 

[blackopal19]

"Alright. Be out in a bit."

She felt the mans gaze on her, but she was used to it by now.

"I've picked up a small job to help pass the time. My family has a horse ranch north of here."

She gave him another grin, leaving the pitcher of cool water on his table. She headed towards the kitchen, leaving his order, before busybodying around the dinning area.

In a little while, she returned to the kitchen and came back out carrying the man's order, also with a big bowl of homemade gravy.

She set his plate down.

"Anything else I can get you?"

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Life was beginning to show it's face as the stranger strolled from the livery. As he stepped onto the planked walkway in place with the facades of each building a flock of elderly hens filed from a store just ahead. Clucking among themselves about courting, marriage and prospects they all fell silent when they heard the tinny jingle of spurs just ahead and saw it came from a stranger's boots. He grabbed the brim of his hat and nodded to them, "morning ladies". A chorus of g'mornings accompanied with sunny bright smiles were returned as he stepped aside to let them pass.

Just as he turned to resume his way to find the hotel he bumped into a woman that was not there before but now stood just outside the shop door. His saddlebag drop to the walkway with a heavy thump as he caught the arm of her before she was bowled over.

"Excuse me Ma'am. I am terribly sorry. I did not see you there and this old cur gets only clumsier with each new day. I hope you are ok."

 

[shadowoftheheart]

"Alright. Be out in a bit."

She felt the mans gaze on her, but she was used to it by now.

"I've picked up a small job to help pass the time. My family has a horse ranch north of here."

She gave him another grin, leaving the pitcher of cool water on his table. She headed towards the kitchen, leaving his order, before busybodying around the dinning area.

In a little while, she returned to the kitchen and came back out carrying the man's order, also with a big bowl of homemade gravy.

She set his plate down.

"Anything else I can get you?"

If I were 20 years younger, he thought to himself.

"Nah, I figure this'll hold me for a couple of hours. Horse ranch eh? Ya got many folks buyin horses these days?"

With the rail-road going everywhere -- well, everywhere important that is -- and the new Horseless Carriages he had seen when he visited back East that one time ... well, the day of the horse was likely over. Like the day of the gun.

He blinked, realizing he had been looking at her slightly moon-eyed and hadn't heard what she said.

"Sorry Ma'am. I don't mean ta keep you from your other customers or duties or nothin...."

 

[caela]

Ari yelped in surprise as the stranger ran right into her. She hadn't been looking the way the old women had gone and so hadn't seen him when she stepped out of her store. His saddlebag just barely missed her feet as it thunked to the walkway and she curse softly under her breath. This was the last time she was wearing a dress any day other than sunday damnit! Slippers where just not enough protection for a girls feet and she desperatly wanted her boots.

Forget today, she was changing in the next 10 minutes!

"Excuse me Ma'am. I am terribly sorry. I did not see you there and this old cur gets only clumsier with each new day. I hope you are ok."

Giving the stranger a warm smile she reached down and easily lifted the saddlebag to hand back to him. It was a bit heavy but she was stronger than she looked from all the lifting and carting she did in the store.

"No please pardon me. I know better than to just walk out of the store without at least looking to see whose path I'm stepping into. You're not from Keystone, do you mind my asking if you're just passing through or planning to settle here?"

She thought about introducing herself but if he was just a drifter passing through that was pointless. If he was thinking of settling though she'd introduce herself and give him a short tour and the basic pertinent information about the town. Namely that it was dying out and that the female sheriff didn't tolerate lawlessness in her town so causing trouble was a bad idea.

 

[Tseranc]

Seamus Cormac

As the Sun grew hotter, heading toward that dreaded hour of noon, a rider come toward the down, from the direction of Carson. He looked to be rather uncomfortable on the horse, and the horse seemed to be barely tolerating his company. He was obviously not a well accomplished rider.

But there were few, if any carriages from the city to this sleep town anymore, and so he took a horse, with every intent on having enough funds to entice a carriage to come pick him up in the future. He’d heard this town needed a bit of action, and towns in need of action always loved a good game.

And even more reliable was that towns in need of a good game, were rather poor at the playing.

He rode up to the Inn, lashed his horse to the post, and walked on in. He was far dustier then he liked. He sat down, took off his straight brimmed black hat, and waited for the waitress, who seemed to be with another customer…probably not very often she had to divide her time around here.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

"No please pardon me. I know better than to just walk out of the store without at least looking to see whose path I'm stepping into. You're not from Keystone, do you mind my asking if you're just passing through or planning to settle here?"

She thought about introducing herself but if he was just a drifter passing through that was pointless. If he was thinking of settling though she'd introduce herself and give him a short tour and the basic pertinent information about the town. Namely that it was dying out and that the female sheriff didn't tolerate lawlessness in her town so causing trouble was a bad idea.

Again he almost knocked into her again as together they bent to reach for his saddlebag. Fortunately she was quicker and he was spared from further proving his earlier point.

"I am not sure yet. So far I like what I see here", as his keen eyes looked into her's. This is a quiet town and not taken over by the fancy do-dads, gizmos and other new fangled contraptions like some of the others. I hope to set roots somewhere but a fella like me just doesn't fit in with all of the changes that is going on in the country any more. I am use to the open spaces and sometimes I feel like a noose is tightening around my neck any more."

He quickly snatched his hat from his head, "where are my manners? My name is Winston, Winston Patterson."

 

[caela]

He quickly snatched his hat from his head, "where are my manners? My name is Winston, Winston Patterson."

"Your manners are fine Winston. I'm Arianna Wilson, the ownner of the general store here. Feel free to put your hat back on and never bother with taking it off in my store unless you want to. I'm about as eccentric as they come and don't stand on formality."

That said she offered him her and and shook his with a firm grip.

"If you're looking for a quiet place to settle you find any much quieter than Keystone. We're a rancher's town so open spaces abound everywhere outside the town proper. You could probably hire on as a hand somewhere, or if you have the money there's a few smaller pieces of property for sale just north of town. You couldn't ranch on them but there's water enough for a small farm if you were just looking to raise enough for yourself and to have a bit extra to barter for what you needed."

Ari smiled again as she thought about the property for sale...it was hers and she found it useless for herself. She liked living in town and would gladly sell off those parcels that her husband had once made her live on like a slave. It'd be the last nail in his coffin to way of thinking.

"But listen to me rambling. You must be parched and hungry and my mama taught me better manners than to keep a thirsty man out in the sun talking. Would you like to come into the store for a glass of lemonade Winston? If you wanted something stronger I understand that and both the hotel and the saloon are just down the way there, " she said with a friendly smile that told him she truly wouldn't be offended if he wanted to head on to the hotel.

 

[blackopal19]

She smiled politely as she noticed his gaze sort of drift off.

"Not many anymore. But my Pa's got a few good colts this year."

She gave him another knowing smile before sliding the pay slip on his table.

"Just let me know or leave the money on the table, mister, when you're through."

She saw another customer come in, and wondered if today was going to be one of those rare busy days.

She walked over to the dusty man, stopping to grab a damp cloth and a glass of cool water for him. Her eyes quickly scanned the man, trying to judge him. She set the glass down infront of him along with the damp towel.

"What can I get you, Mister?"