in the county if there was. I’m not here about the sign. ”
Evie was gripping her hands, cracking her knuckles, scowling.
I got up to clear the table.
Mom looked defeated, sitting there with her hands in her lap, staring down at the table.
“Say your say,” Dad said. “This isn’t the best of times for us to stop what we’re doing.”
“I’m sorry, Evie. I’m supposed to warn you to stay away from Patsy Duff.”
“Warn her to stay away from Evie!” Dad barked.
“Well, Duffy’s doing that.” That was what old man Duff’s cronies called him.
“Far as I know,” said Evie, “there’s no law against two females seeing each other.”
“I never heard there was, either,” said the sheriff. “Look, now, I’m just doing my duty. Mr. Duff made a complaint and I’m following through on it. That’s all.”
“What am I supposed to do about that complaint?” said Evie.
“Stop seeing that girl!” said Dad.
Evie shook her head. “No way. If she wants to see me, I’ll see her. It’s a free country!”
Dad slapped his hand down on the table. “You did your job, Sheriff. Now we’re getting back to work! … Evie?”
Evie got up. She said to the sheriff, “You finished with me?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I had my say, Evie. What you do about it is your own business, I guess.”
“I’m not going to do anything about it,” said Evie, “besides break Cord Whittle’s neck!”
She and Dad went out the door, leaving me at the sink and Mom just sitting there while the sheriff stood.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Mom.
“Look, Cynnie,” said the sheriff, “I wouldn’t even have thought twice about any signs if Duffy hadn’t called me over to his place. Cord puts up a sign, then someone copies the idea and it spreads. What’s got into Cord pulling a prank like that?”
“It was more than a prank. It was malicious.”
“I agree…. I don’t know if there’s truth to it or not, but even if there is—” He shrugged again.
“Even if there is, what ?” Mom said.
“Nothing.”
“Patsy Duff is a minor.”
“Yes, she is, but Evie’s not selling Patsy Duff liquor or trying to marry her”—he gave a snort—“or registering her to vote. I mean, what law is Evie breaking that I’m supposed to do something about?”
Mom had tears in her eyes by then, one rolling down her cheek. The sheriff said, “Oh, now, don’t take this hard.”
“How’m I supposed to take it?” Mom reached in her pocket for a Kleenex.
“I’ll tell you something. I don’t even think this thing is important. I had an uncle who was funny, and you wouldn’t meet a nicer fellow. He didn’t bother anyone, and—”
“Evie’s not funny ,” said my mother. “She’s not some freak.”
“Neither was my uncle Bob, Cynnie. I didn’t mean he was a freak. He was more a fluke. All families got a fluke—if not right in front of them, way back. We even had a rooster out to our place once you couldn’t get to go near the hens for love or money! It happens!”
Mom blew her nose.
She said, “Did you tell all this to Mr. Duff?”
“No, ma’am. I just said I’d look into it. Did you ever try to tell Duffy anything?” He laughed. “That young lady of his has always been a rebel. I don’t know how many speeding tickets I’ve written for her. She’s got a wild streak. She’s about the only thing Duffy can’t control, and it gets to him. That’s what this is all about. She’s going through a stage.”
“And Evie?” Mom asked.
He shrugged and grinned. “Evie’s what she is, and whatever that is, it hasn’t bothered anyone before, has it?”
Mom didn’t answer for a second. Then she said, “Will he try to do anything more about it?”
The sheriff shifted his weight from one foot to the other and socked one palm with his fist. He said, “Cynnie, don’t worry about this anymore. Patsy’s going back to Jeff City Monday, and when she’s finished there, Duffy’s packing her
Evie was gripping her hands, cracking her knuckles, scowling.
I got up to clear the table.
Mom looked defeated, sitting there with her hands in her lap, staring down at the table.
“Say your say,” Dad said. “This isn’t the best of times for us to stop what we’re doing.”
“I’m sorry, Evie. I’m supposed to warn you to stay away from Patsy Duff.”
“Warn her to stay away from Evie!” Dad barked.
“Well, Duffy’s doing that.” That was what old man Duff’s cronies called him.
“Far as I know,” said Evie, “there’s no law against two females seeing each other.”
“I never heard there was, either,” said the sheriff. “Look, now, I’m just doing my duty. Mr. Duff made a complaint and I’m following through on it. That’s all.”
“What am I supposed to do about that complaint?” said Evie.
“Stop seeing that girl!” said Dad.
Evie shook her head. “No way. If she wants to see me, I’ll see her. It’s a free country!”
Dad slapped his hand down on the table. “You did your job, Sheriff. Now we’re getting back to work! … Evie?”
Evie got up. She said to the sheriff, “You finished with me?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I had my say, Evie. What you do about it is your own business, I guess.”
“I’m not going to do anything about it,” said Evie, “besides break Cord Whittle’s neck!”
She and Dad went out the door, leaving me at the sink and Mom just sitting there while the sheriff stood.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Mom.
“Look, Cynnie,” said the sheriff, “I wouldn’t even have thought twice about any signs if Duffy hadn’t called me over to his place. Cord puts up a sign, then someone copies the idea and it spreads. What’s got into Cord pulling a prank like that?”
“It was more than a prank. It was malicious.”
“I agree…. I don’t know if there’s truth to it or not, but even if there is—” He shrugged again.
“Even if there is, what ?” Mom said.
“Nothing.”
“Patsy Duff is a minor.”
“Yes, she is, but Evie’s not selling Patsy Duff liquor or trying to marry her”—he gave a snort—“or registering her to vote. I mean, what law is Evie breaking that I’m supposed to do something about?”
Mom had tears in her eyes by then, one rolling down her cheek. The sheriff said, “Oh, now, don’t take this hard.”
“How’m I supposed to take it?” Mom reached in her pocket for a Kleenex.
“I’ll tell you something. I don’t even think this thing is important. I had an uncle who was funny, and you wouldn’t meet a nicer fellow. He didn’t bother anyone, and—”
“Evie’s not funny ,” said my mother. “She’s not some freak.”
“Neither was my uncle Bob, Cynnie. I didn’t mean he was a freak. He was more a fluke. All families got a fluke—if not right in front of them, way back. We even had a rooster out to our place once you couldn’t get to go near the hens for love or money! It happens!”
Mom blew her nose.
She said, “Did you tell all this to Mr. Duff?”
“No, ma’am. I just said I’d look into it. Did you ever try to tell Duffy anything?” He laughed. “That young lady of his has always been a rebel. I don’t know how many speeding tickets I’ve written for her. She’s got a wild streak. She’s about the only thing Duffy can’t control, and it gets to him. That’s what this is all about. She’s going through a stage.”
“And Evie?” Mom asked.
He shrugged and grinned. “Evie’s what she is, and whatever that is, it hasn’t bothered anyone before, has it?”
Mom didn’t answer for a second. Then she said, “Will he try to do anything more about it?”
The sheriff shifted his weight from one foot to the other and socked one palm with his fist. He said, “Cynnie, don’t worry about this anymore. Patsy’s going back to Jeff City Monday, and when she’s finished there, Duffy’s packing her
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