up and running. Some of the remote ranchers were now coming to town to resupply and trade, and they wanted someplace to spend the night. Establishing fair value for goods and services was often difficult, if not impossible.
Pete smiled, thinking about an argument that had broken out a few days ago. It was a clear example of the problem.
He’d been walking down to visit Betty, when the sounds of a disagreement drifted between the few scattered storefronts in Meraton. Someone was clearly unhappy with someone else, and in these times, that was cause for concern. Mumbling to himself, “What now,” Pete set off to find the quarrel’s source.
Heading west down Meraton’s main drag, Pete could make out more of the angry voices and realized one of them belonged to Betty. Pete picked up his pace, believing something was wrong with his friend. Betty was a strong woman with a frontier attitude, but he always worried about her taking care of that big place all by herself.
The Manor had been known far and wide in West Texas for over 50 years. Famous for being a peaceful retreat with quality service, it had been the primary anchor of Meraton’s business district. Now, after the collapse, the one-time vacation destination served as the community’s hospital and defensive Alamo. Slowly, it was regaining use as a place for travelers to rest. Almost two full acres of lush gardens were contained inside the fort-like walls of the hotel’s grounds. Rare in the barren Chihuahuan Desert surrounding the town, the variety and design of plant life had been a major draw to travelers visiting Big Bend National Park. Many remarked that the stay at the hotel had been the most enjoyable portion of their trip.
Like all destinations in Meraton, The Manor was just a few blocks away from Pete’s bar. As he hurried down the street, he soon realized that the argument wasn’t coming from the hotel. Two side streets over, he finally found the source of the disturbance in front of Maria Bustou’s home.
Betty and Maria were standing in the street, having it out, and Pete could tell neither was backing down. Both women ignored his approach, intent on shouting at each other while fingers were wagged in faces. Pete got close and then joined the fray. “Ladies! Ladies! What is going on here? You two are about to raise the dead.”
Both women looked at Pete, but each reacted differently to his attempt to restore balance. Maria crossed her arms over her chest, a look of determination on her face. Betty took a step toward Pete and then pointed her finger back at Maria. “Pete, this . . . this . . . woman bartered four eggs with me yesterday, and two of them are so rotten, my stray cats wouldn’t eat them. That’s the second time this has happened in the last two weeks. I want half of the beef loin that I traded for them back, but she says her family has already eaten it.”
Maria waited for a moment before pleading her case to Pete . “This is so untrue. The eggs were fresh and even if not, senor, I offer Miss Betty replacement eggs tomorrow. My hens didn’t produce this morning.”
Before Pete could comment, Betty went right back at her, “Maria, I don’t want to wait on your hens. I have to feed the people at the hospital and the doctor when he visits. I don’t have anything else to barter with today, and the cupboard is bare. I have people I have to feed.”
The commotion was attracting other townsfolk. Pete saw three other neighbors approaching, as well as a few faces peering out of nearby windows. Given what he knew about the two women’s tempers, he was glad to have the backup in case things got out of hand.
He decided to p lay peacemaker. “Maria, Betty . . . please . . . let’s all settle down and work this out. I’m sure we can come to a reasonable solution that works for everyone.
Pete immediately regretted stepping into the middle of the dispute. Both women were now looking at him as if to say, “Well, what’s your idea?”
Pete smiled, thinking about an argument that had broken out a few days ago. It was a clear example of the problem.
He’d been walking down to visit Betty, when the sounds of a disagreement drifted between the few scattered storefronts in Meraton. Someone was clearly unhappy with someone else, and in these times, that was cause for concern. Mumbling to himself, “What now,” Pete set off to find the quarrel’s source.
Heading west down Meraton’s main drag, Pete could make out more of the angry voices and realized one of them belonged to Betty. Pete picked up his pace, believing something was wrong with his friend. Betty was a strong woman with a frontier attitude, but he always worried about her taking care of that big place all by herself.
The Manor had been known far and wide in West Texas for over 50 years. Famous for being a peaceful retreat with quality service, it had been the primary anchor of Meraton’s business district. Now, after the collapse, the one-time vacation destination served as the community’s hospital and defensive Alamo. Slowly, it was regaining use as a place for travelers to rest. Almost two full acres of lush gardens were contained inside the fort-like walls of the hotel’s grounds. Rare in the barren Chihuahuan Desert surrounding the town, the variety and design of plant life had been a major draw to travelers visiting Big Bend National Park. Many remarked that the stay at the hotel had been the most enjoyable portion of their trip.
Like all destinations in Meraton, The Manor was just a few blocks away from Pete’s bar. As he hurried down the street, he soon realized that the argument wasn’t coming from the hotel. Two side streets over, he finally found the source of the disturbance in front of Maria Bustou’s home.
Betty and Maria were standing in the street, having it out, and Pete could tell neither was backing down. Both women ignored his approach, intent on shouting at each other while fingers were wagged in faces. Pete got close and then joined the fray. “Ladies! Ladies! What is going on here? You two are about to raise the dead.”
Both women looked at Pete, but each reacted differently to his attempt to restore balance. Maria crossed her arms over her chest, a look of determination on her face. Betty took a step toward Pete and then pointed her finger back at Maria. “Pete, this . . . this . . . woman bartered four eggs with me yesterday, and two of them are so rotten, my stray cats wouldn’t eat them. That’s the second time this has happened in the last two weeks. I want half of the beef loin that I traded for them back, but she says her family has already eaten it.”
Maria waited for a moment before pleading her case to Pete . “This is so untrue. The eggs were fresh and even if not, senor, I offer Miss Betty replacement eggs tomorrow. My hens didn’t produce this morning.”
Before Pete could comment, Betty went right back at her, “Maria, I don’t want to wait on your hens. I have to feed the people at the hospital and the doctor when he visits. I don’t have anything else to barter with today, and the cupboard is bare. I have people I have to feed.”
The commotion was attracting other townsfolk. Pete saw three other neighbors approaching, as well as a few faces peering out of nearby windows. Given what he knew about the two women’s tempers, he was glad to have the backup in case things got out of hand.
He decided to p lay peacemaker. “Maria, Betty . . . please . . . let’s all settle down and work this out. I’m sure we can come to a reasonable solution that works for everyone.
Pete immediately regretted stepping into the middle of the dispute. Both women were now looking at him as if to say, “Well, what’s your idea?”
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