Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 446 The Ball's Turmoil!

Night completely enveloped Windbreak Town.

The town's only school has become the liveliest place at this moment.

Dozens of kerosene lamps were hung high, their dim yellow light illuminating the playground and also the most presentable clothes worn by the townspeople.

The men wore starched shirts and bow ties; the women changed into brightly colored skirts, which, although old-fashioned, were their best attire.

In the cramped room of the small hotel, Lionel and Black Jazz sat in silence.

They were determined not to get involved, but their door was knocked on again.

Black Knight instantly became alert, his hand on the gun handle; Lionel sighed and walked to the door.

"Who?"

"It's me, Old Joe! Mr. Morgan, Mr. Bolton, the ball is about to start, I've come to pick you up!"

Lionel was about to refuse when the door was pushed open.

Old Joe wasn't alone; he was followed by several elegantly dressed women—

There are bold-eyed, still charming young women, and lively, shy, and curious young girls.

They surged in without saying a word—

"Oh dear gentlemen, it must be so stuffy staying in the room!"

"Yes, the ball was so lively!"

"Let us take you there!"

The women laughed and almost forcibly took Lionel and Black Jazz's arms.

Lionel felt embarrassed and tried to break free, but the young woman held him tightly.

Black Knight's face was gloomy and his body stiff; he was clearly not used to this kind of contact.

He glanced quickly at Lionel, warning him with his eyes not to do anything rash, while slightly lifting the hem of his trench coat to let Lionel see the revolver tucked into his waistband.

Lionel knew that another firm refusal might escalate the conflict and attract unnecessary attention; he looked at the Black Knight, asking for his opinion with his eyes.

Black Knight nodded reluctantly, knowing that he had to deal with the current situation first.

Lionel reluctantly agreed, "Alright, let's go take a look."

Old Joe laughed heartily: "That's more like it!"

He was very satisfied with his "honey trap" and watched smugly as the women "escorted" the two distinguished guests out of the room.

Soon, the group was escorted to the school playground.

There were already about seventy or eighty people gathered here. Under the kerosene lamp, their faces were filled with excitement, and their conversations and laughter mingled together.

Old Joe led them straight to a simple stage slightly raised above the ground in front of the playground.

Old Joe stepped to the front of the stage, clapped his hands vigorously, and attracted everyone's attention.

He shouted, "Folks! Quiet down!"

The crowd gradually quieted down, and all eyes turned to them.

Old Joe pointed to Lionel and Black Knight: "Tonight, we have two distinguished guests in Windbreak Town!"

They will witness firsthand the most significant change that Windbreak Town will experience since the end of the civil war!

A buzz of discussion arose from the crowd, many people curiously eyeing the two strangers on the stage—

One was young and handsome, looking like a gentleman; the other was older, with a cold expression, looking exactly like a typical gunman in the West.

Old Joe continued his speech, his voice impassioned: "Look at us now! Those bloodsuckers from the railroad company are eyeing our ranches and land every day, trying to steal our family business passed down from our ancestors with just a few scraps of paper!"
Those sons of bitches in the federal government, sitting in their offices on the east side, are only thinking about selling our resources to those big mining companies, completely disregarding our lives!
And what about those restless Native Americans? Who knows when they might charge in?

He waved his fist: "All of this requires a strong leader to defend our rights!"
Instead of an incompetent person who has languished in this position for twenty years, only knowing how to bow and scrape to those above!

The crowd supporting Joe erupted in cheers and applause.

Encouraged, Old Joe raised his voice even higher: "I, Old Joe, hereby promise you all! If I win the election next Tuesday and become the new mayor—"

The first thing I did was to organize our own militia to defend our homeland and never let outsiders take away an inch of our land!
The second thing is that I will renegotiate with the railway and mining companies and demand that they show genuine sincerity, not charity!
Thirdly, all unreasonable taxes must be abolished! We must make Windbreak Town a place where we can truly be our own masters!

"Well said, Old Joe!"

"we support you!"

The cheers from the audience grew even louder.

Old Joe was smug and ready to announce the start of the ball.

Just then, a voice came from behind the crowd: "That was a brilliant speech, Joe."

The crowd fell silent instantly, as if doused with cold water, and automatically parted to make way for each other.

Then, the old mayor, Amos Greenwood, wearing an old black suit, slowly walked over.

He was followed by Sheriff Buck Raven and three deputy sheriffs with guns slung over their shoulders.

Raven's hand rested on the holster at his waist, his eyes scanning the crowd with a fierce gaze.

The people who were just cheering now looked fearful and uneasy.

They did want change, but no one dared to openly challenge the old mayor and sheriff.

Whoever Amos Greenwood's gloomy gaze swept over would instinctively lower their head, or look away in alarm, and some would even apologize quietly.

Some people tried to sneak away, but they were all stopped by the sheriff and deputy sheriff.

The atmosphere on the playground instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Old Joe's expression changed slightly: "Greenwood, Raven... what are you doing here?" Amos Greenwood forced a sinister smile: "What? The town ball, and I, the mayor, can't attend? Joe, aren't you welcoming me?"

Old Joe's momentum clearly weakened: "No...no..."

Greenwood ignored him and turned to Lionel and Black Knight, his smile becoming "enthusiastic": "The two gentlemen are here too? That's wonderful!"

Such a dance party is the best place to understand the true thoughts of the people of Fengxi Town.

Please make sure you enjoy yourself and experience the warmth and hospitality of the people of Fengxi Town.

After saying that, he glanced at Old Joe and said in a commanding tone, "Why isn't the ball starting yet? Don't keep the guests waiting."

Old Joe gritted his teeth, his face turning pale and then flushed, but in the end he could only take a deep breath and turn to the crowd: "So... the ball shall now begin!"
The first dance is the 'Sweetheart Dance'!

The small band sitting in the corner began to play, and a cheerful waltz melody filled the air.

A singer with a handsome mustache began to sing on stage in a comical tone:
"You men who yearn for love, you don't all have to despair."

If you want to win the heart of a beautiful woman, there's a secret you should know.

You may not be handsome, you may not be dashing.
But you can still win the heart of your beauty—

All you need is a tuft of beard.

A tuft of beard, a tuft of beard,
All you need is a tuft of beard.

You may come from humble beginnings, without any distinguished or glorious background.

You don't have to be a king to make a girl willing to become your bride.

You may lack fame, you may lack money.
But you can still win her heart—

All you need is a tuft of beard.

A tuft of beard, a tuft of beard,
All you need is a tuft of beard.

......"

The tense atmosphere was somewhat eased by the humorous singing.

According to custom, the men lined up to invite their "sweethearts".

Old Joe was the first to stand up. He straightened his collar, strode over to a robust woman in the audience, took off his hat, bowed, and extended an invitation.

The woman smiled and offered him her hand.

Then, the old mayor, Amos Greenwood, slowly stepped down from the stage and walked towards an elderly widow in the crowd, extending an invitation with equal elegance.

Then, everyone's eyes fell on Lionel and Black Jazz, who were still standing by the stage.

As Old Joe twirled around with his partner, he called out to Lionel across most of the playground, "Mr. Morgan! Don't just stand there! Come down and dance a song!"

The girls in our Windbreak Town are both beautiful and warm-hearted!

Amos Greenwood's steady voice rang out: "Mr. Bolton appears to be a very experienced gentleman."

Dancing this kind of Western small-town dance must be incredibly stylish; let's see it!

Lionel and Black Jazz were roasted over a fire—

Jumping would mean participating in the farce they wanted to avoid; not jumping would mean being slapped in the face by both sides.

Black Knight's face was ashen. He said in a low voice, "Get out of here. I'll keep watch."

Lionel had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk off the stage.

As soon as he stood still, the bold young woman who had been holding his arm earlier walked over with a smile and offered her hand to him.

Lionel could only accept it, gently supporting her back with one hand and holding her hand with the other.

As the music played, the people on the dance floor began to move, taking simple waltz steps, which Lionel was able to handle.

Old Joe, with his dance partner, deliberately twirled near Lionel.

Old Joe started speaking loudly, his voice drowning out the music: "Mr. Morgan, great dance! Look at this scene, this is the energy that Windbreak should have!"

Some people, occupying their positions for twenty years, have turned the town into a lifeless place! Just like that song says—"

He suddenly opened his hoarse voice and began humming "The Beard Song" along with the band:

"You might be fat and big, or so ugly that girls avoid you..."

He was clearly alluding to the old mayor, and his supporters burst into laughter.

Amos Greenwood was not far away, but he seemed not to hear and continued dancing calmly.

But each time he passed by Lionel, he would whisper, "Impulse and slogans, like this dance, are just a passing fad."

"Governing a town requires experience and composure, Mr. Morgan, wouldn't you agree?"

Old Joe immediately retorted: "Experience and composure? It's the experience of watching the railway company lay tracks right in front of our house."
Or is it the unwavering composure that allows them to never clearly explain where their tax money goes?

Lionel, caught in the middle, felt overwhelmed and could only give vague responses, trying to focus on the dance steps and avoid directly responding to either side.

At this point, the band moved into the "Sweetheart Embrace" part of the dance—the men would gently embrace their female partners from behind, and the two would move side by side.

Lionel was a little clumsy when he first tried the move; the young woman, on the other hand, was very natural and patiently guided him to get into position and keep up with the rhythm.

In this somewhat intimate position, she suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Sir, be careful of Old Joe—"

He promised the railway company that if he became mayor, he would sell them the woodland on the west side of town at a low price, and he would take a kickback.

Lionel was startled and almost stepped on her foot. This woman didn't actually support "Old Joe"?

(First update, please vote with monthly tickets)
　The "Sweetheart Dance" and "Beard Song" can be compared to the dance scene in "A Million Ways to Die in the West".

　　
　
(End of this chapter)