Another Day, Another Dollar

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May 18
Evening

The Golden Valley Palace, the town's only saloon, was busy as usual that evening. Smoke hung in clouds by the ceiling and the sound of loud voices and laughter could easily be heard out on the town street. The bar was doing good business and tending bar that night, per usual, was the owner, Ralph Mundy. He liked nothing better than to pour drinks for thirsty customers leaning up against the hard counter. It meant he was making money. Saloons were his livelihood, his whole life really. He was content, there was nothing else he wanted to do with his life. Looking up from pouring the latest shot glass to the top with rotgut whiskey, Ralph smiled at the young lady singing and dancing up on the stage to the tune of a rapidly plinking piano. The menfolk watched and cheered her on, especially when she would rather boldly give them a quick look at one of her fine legs. Truth was she was a better singer than a dancer but then most men didn't appreciate her voice anyhow, they liked her flirting with them, her spirit, and the allure of what might be under that big dress of hers.

Scattered between the long bar and the corner stage were several round tables most of them filled this night with card players or just some acquaintances wanting to sit while they enjoyed their beers or whiskeys. When the young miss wasn't on stage, she was out there roaming the floor, getting the customers to buy more drinks and chatting with them, making them feel special -leastwise til she moved on to the next customer. Ralph was proud of her alright, she was his daughter, Caroline. They were a team.

The pair of them had arrived in town only a year earlier and he had come specifically because he had found out the saloon was for sale. He bought the place, it cost him every penny he had brought along but now he knew it had been a great investment. The place was a success and the profits were his. It wasn't easy though, the hours were long and at times it could be downright dangerous but they handled it.

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May 10
Evening

Madelaine had spent most of the last two days settling in.  Tonight she decided to check
out the only saloon in town.  She chose her outfit carefully.  One of her long black skirts,  
a simple white tailored blouse and matching jacket.  She decided just to put her hair up  
in one of her nets.

She walked across  the street to the saloon., watching where she steeped.  She could
hear the sounds from inside.  Sounded like the place was busy.  She stopped at the
doors and looked in.

Place looked typical.  Lot cleaner than some of the places she had seen and worked
at.  It wasn't the Pride of New Orleans, or the Silver Star in Denver.  But right now ,
she couldn't afford to be picky.

She went on in.  She made her way carefully to the bar.  She stood there looking
around.  The bartender looked a little rough.  She signaled him.  When he came up,
she ordered a coffee and asked to speak to the owner, if they were around.  

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Now there was something he almost never saw, a lone woman, well enough dressed too, entering the saloon and coming right up

 to the bar....alone it seemed? Maybe she was looking for her husband and figured he was hiding out in a saloon? She signaled
 him as he poured a shot for a customer, he nodded but finished dealing with the customer first. Then he approached.

"Can I help ya?"

She wanted a coffee first then asked for the owner.

"Coffee...........well, I can see if we got any hot coffee in the back. This here is a saloon, lady, case you hadn't noticed," Ralph smiled, rather amused.

"As for the owner, yer lookin' at 'im. Why do you wanna see me?" he was curious alright. Before he went to check on the coffee he would hear what she was here for.

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Maddie smiled at him. "While I wait for the coffee, I'll take a shot of your better whiskey with
a water chaser." She smiled at him. "Madelaine Dubois, I just arrived two days ago. I'm
a professional gambler. Thought I might check to see if you were in need of my services.
Perhaps if you had some time, we could sit down and discuss it."

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"Ahhh, now that's more like it," Ralph smiled as the woman ordered a whiskey and water chaser.

Turning his back he reached for one of the more expensive bottles, most customers didn't want to pay the extra, they could get plastered on the cheap stuff just as well. He poured her a shot glass then added a small glass of water poured from a glass pitcher under the bar. The pitcher was actually there for other reasons but it worked, it did hold water.

"Here ya go, that'll be thirty-five cents," he informed her.

He raised one eyebrow at her introduction,not the name, he had never heard of her but her professed career. Woman gambler?

"Well, Miss Dubois, I'm Ralph Mundy. You pullin' my leg?"

It just so happened he'd fired his last house gambler only the week before. The man had been good - while sober - but he hadn't been able to lay off the liquor then played badly when drunk. He was no good that way. So he was looking for somebody new..........but a woman?

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Maddie accepted the glass from the gentleman, slipping him the coins for the drink. She usually didn't drink whiske
brandy was her choice. She downed the drink in one swallow, and shivered a little. "No sir, i am not pulling your leg.
I am originally from New Orleans. I started out on a riverboat called the Pride of New Orleans. Best boat on the river.
Unfortunately, the war brought an end to that. St. Louis, Denver,several places along the way. I came out this far
for my health." She added that part as an after thought. She didn't want to add details why she was here. She was used
to his reaction to her profession.

"I usually work for a cut of the take.30% is my usual but that is negotiable. I don't sleep with the customers. i am sure
there are other women here for that. I also have some bar tending experience, and can fill in if need be. By the way employers and
friend call me Maddie." She offers him her hand to shake it. "do we have a deal."

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"You sound like a southerner alright," he nodded then added, "The war brought a lot of things to an end. Lotta people too."

Her one statement seemed to amuse him as Ralph grinned, "You came out here for yer health? Montana is a rough place. Wild frontier.....lots of Indian trouble too. Not sure you made a smart choice. But....it's a free country."

The man then pondered her offer, "I don't know .....30% seems a mite high. My last man worked for 20% and he seemed satisfied."

Ralph's eyes darted from her for a moment, catching movement to the side of the bar.



"Oh...hey, Caroline. Go in the back once and see if there's any coffee on the stove. Lady here wants coffee."

Caroline, a petite young thing with brown hair up and makeup even painted fingernails, nodded, "Should be unless the cook drank it all. Back in a minute."

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Maddie was liI stening to the man. Yes, she was a long way out in the wilderness. But sometimes circumstances called
for a change of scenery. "Yes the war was rough on both sides. I have found the wide open spaces a lot better
for my health, than the city." Maddie was thinking, as she talked. The man hadn't asked anything about her
background, with a little luck he wouldn't. 20% was good for a small place in a small town. The place looked clean
and well run. She would probably be looking to move out of the hotel, maybe rent a room or a small place.

"20% sounds good to me. I don't drink when I am working. I find it dulls my senses." She smiles at the young women.
"thank you." She turns back to Ralph. "So when do u need me to start?"

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Ralph nodded, "Yeah, know what you mean. Chicago got too big and crowded for us too. Came out here."

He lowballed her offer, it was called showing the woman who was boss here. She seemed alright with it though and agreed. Not that the
twenty percent was that bad. In the end if she was good at her trade, she'd win enough games to make a decent living. If not, then
she wouldn't. It came down to her.

"Whoa now, Miss Dubois. I never said I agreed to hire you. Don't be rushin' me...I don't even know if yer any good at what you do?
Anyone can claim anything, the truth is in the doin'," he pointed out.

"How bout this then? I give you a trial period. Two days....well, make that nights. I get most of my customers in the evenin's when
they're done with their jobs and come here for some drink and for some.....cards. I set you up with a table and you take it from
there. If after two nights, if I think you are good enough, I'll hire you. If you find you don't like it here, you can just up and leave
and no hard feelin's on my part," he offered.

"Oh and one more thing..........I don't want you to cheat the customers....or at least if you do...you better not get caught
red-handed at it. Couple of months ago we had a stranger come to town and he pulled a few aces out of his sleeve in a big
game. The other men at the table caught him and dragged him out back and beat the living shit out of him," Ralph smiled.

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Maddie smiled at him. "Sound fair enough to me. I'll do you one even better. First 2 nights, I use my
own funds. You get the 20%. That way the only thing you will really be out is the use of one of your tables.
You see I am used to having to prove my abilities. As for cheating, he was lucky, back on the river, he would
have been shot. I don't find that I have to cheat to win. Just be my usual charming self."

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The woman even topped his offer with one of her own. She'd risk her own funds the first two nights yet still give him
 a part of her profits. He hadn't expected that, she certainly did not lack for confidence, this one. He didn't have to
think on it long but nodded.

"Bold talk but if you can back it up with results, you got the job then, Miss Dubois," he declared.

He pointed toward a corner table, "That one over there. I'll have Caroline clear it off and for the next two
 nights it's all yours. I got some card decks and chips for you to use. Glad to hear you don't cheat.
 The best ones don't need to."

"That sound satisfactory?"

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Maddie smiled again. "that sounds satisfactory to me. Caroline is the young lady, who was getting the coffee.
You know I haven't even found out your name. Please my friends call me Maddie. Great then, it is settled. Trial
period. I'll finish off this evening, and a full shift tomorrow. Say about 4 to closing. I'll settle with u
every evening, if that is all right with you." Maddie finishes the water.

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addie smiled again. "that sounds satisfactory to me. Caroline is the young lady, who was getting the coffee.
You know I haven't even found out your name. Please my friends call me Maddie. Great then, it is settled. Trial
period. I'll finish off this evening, and a full shift tomorrow. Say about 4 to closing. I'll settle with u
every evening, if that is all right with you." Maddie finishes the water.

"Yes, Caroline is the singer and dancer...also works the floor. She is my daughter. And I expect you to listen
to her if she tells you to do something just as if I told ya. She has my full backing when it comes to that,"
Ralph quickly explained.

Ralph raised one eyebrow when she stated she didn't know his name?

"Well, then you need to learn to listen better cuz I told ya before.............Ralph....Ralph Mundy."

"Alright, I'll call you Maddie....I don't mind if you call me Ralph. We go by first names round here. Oh, and one more
thing, we stick together. If there is any trouble, I will back you. Any customer give you a hard time or try somethin'
on you and they will have to deal with me. I expect loyalty and I give it in return."

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Maddie nodded. "That's nice to know. I am capable of handling most customer problems." Her jacket
is a little longer and cut fuller. She opens it enough to show Ralph she is packing a small version
of a pistol. "It was designed for me in St. Louis, and I carry a derringer in my bag. But usually I
find talking to the man usually works.'

Ralph's ex-employee walked into the saloon. He was drunk, and angry. He walked on over to the
bar. "I came to get my job back. You had no business firing me. I am the best gambler here in
this town and you know it. Who you going to get to replace me?"

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The woman then opened her jacket to reveal a pistol plus admitted to having a derringer in her arsenal too. Ralph slowly nodded.
He wasn't against her being armed, far from it, Caroline had a concealed derringer too on her. But he didn't know Maddie yet and
did not want someone who was.....well...trigger happy. Shooting people in a saloon was not good for business.

"Yeah, just take it easy," he advised. Speaking of not taking it easy, in stormed his ex-house gambler.

 The man walked on over to thebar.  One could tell he was drunk from his gait and his eyes.

"I came to get my job back. You had no business firing me. I am the best gambler here in
this town and you know it. Who you going to get to replace me?"

Ralph glared at the man, "Well, well, well. See you found some other place to get your liquor. You know what I said...
I don't want you in here no more. And it's none of yer goddamn business who I get to replace you. Though given
how bad you were at it, I probably could get a sheep to play poker good as you."