were y’all. I’m sure they are not going to shoot the doctor,” the woman said.
Mandie took a deep breath as she looked up at Joe, who was frowning. She turned back to the woman and asked, “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we got your name, ma’am.”
The woman grinned at her and said, “Not many people nowadays that want to know my name, but since you told me yours, I reckon I ought to tell you mine. People call me Miz Maude Metts, but I’ve always said that’s not right because I have never been married and they ought to call me Miss Maude Metts.” She laughed.
Joe held out his hand and said, “I’m glad to meet you, Miss Maude Metts.”
The woman shook his hand and said, “I knew the doctor’s sonwould do things right because his father does. He’s the only one who calls me by the right name, bless his heart.”
“Thank you, Miss Metts,” Joe said with a smile, and turning to look down the road, he said, “I suppose we’d better go on. If we don’t hurry and get this done and get back to Mandie’s house, I’m afraid her mother will be upset with us.”
“I don’t think her mother will be, but now that grandmother of hers, that’s a different story,” Miss Metts replied.
Mandie grinned at her and said, “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Do you live here alone?” Joe asked as they started forward. He paused.
“Sure do, always have, just me and Mud, and he’s getting on in age now,” the woman said. “Don’t know what I’ll do if he passes on to dog heaven one of these days. Won’t have no bodyguard.”
“Don’t you worry about that, Miss Metts. We’ll get you another watchdog if that happens,” Mandie told her.
Joe quickly said, “I was just thinking. My dog, Samantha, had several puppies a while back, and they’re old enough now that you could train one of them to be your watchdog. Would you like my father to bring you one next time he comes to see you, Miss Metts?”
“Oh, you don’t mean that!” the old woman exclaimed with a big toothless grin. “You mean I could really have one of those puppies?”
“Why, sure,” Joe said, smiling back. “Only thing, you’d have to train Mud there not to hurt the puppy until they get acquainted with each other.”
“Don’t worry about Mud. I would keep the puppy in the house if your father brings me one,” Miss Metts said, still smiling. “Now, wouldn’t that be something? A brand-new addition to my family. That would make three of us.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Joe said and started to walk on again. “As soon as I find my father, I’ll tell him you want one of the puppies. If you happen to see my father, Miss Metts, I’d appreciate it if you would tell him everyone at Mandie’s house is wondering where he is.”
“I certainly will, and I certainly thank you ahead of time for the puppy,” Miss Metts said, then humming to herself, she turned and disappeared through the bushes in front of the house.
As Joe and Mandie continued down the road, Mandie said, “That was an interesting woman, wasn’t she?”
Joe looked down at her and replied, “She sure is. I’ve heard my father speak of her. At one time she came from a wealthy family. Come to think of it, she has a college education, Mandie, and that’s unusual for a country woman like that.”
Mandie grinned mischievously as she looked up at him and said, “Why, Joe Woodard, that’s not unusual for a country woman to have a college education. You are looking at a future one right now.”
“I know,” Joe said, grinning back. “What I meant was that it’s unusual to find a woman living in poverty like that with a college education.”
“Does your father think she’s all here, you know what I mean? Is she slightly off somehow?” Mandie asked.
“Mandie Shaw! What a silly question!” Joe teased her. “What made you think such a thing? That is a woman ahead of her time, with a mind of her own.”
“If you say so,” Mandie replied, still holding
Mandie took a deep breath as she looked up at Joe, who was frowning. She turned back to the woman and asked, “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we got your name, ma’am.”
The woman grinned at her and said, “Not many people nowadays that want to know my name, but since you told me yours, I reckon I ought to tell you mine. People call me Miz Maude Metts, but I’ve always said that’s not right because I have never been married and they ought to call me Miss Maude Metts.” She laughed.
Joe held out his hand and said, “I’m glad to meet you, Miss Maude Metts.”
The woman shook his hand and said, “I knew the doctor’s sonwould do things right because his father does. He’s the only one who calls me by the right name, bless his heart.”
“Thank you, Miss Metts,” Joe said with a smile, and turning to look down the road, he said, “I suppose we’d better go on. If we don’t hurry and get this done and get back to Mandie’s house, I’m afraid her mother will be upset with us.”
“I don’t think her mother will be, but now that grandmother of hers, that’s a different story,” Miss Metts replied.
Mandie grinned at her and said, “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Do you live here alone?” Joe asked as they started forward. He paused.
“Sure do, always have, just me and Mud, and he’s getting on in age now,” the woman said. “Don’t know what I’ll do if he passes on to dog heaven one of these days. Won’t have no bodyguard.”
“Don’t you worry about that, Miss Metts. We’ll get you another watchdog if that happens,” Mandie told her.
Joe quickly said, “I was just thinking. My dog, Samantha, had several puppies a while back, and they’re old enough now that you could train one of them to be your watchdog. Would you like my father to bring you one next time he comes to see you, Miss Metts?”
“Oh, you don’t mean that!” the old woman exclaimed with a big toothless grin. “You mean I could really have one of those puppies?”
“Why, sure,” Joe said, smiling back. “Only thing, you’d have to train Mud there not to hurt the puppy until they get acquainted with each other.”
“Don’t worry about Mud. I would keep the puppy in the house if your father brings me one,” Miss Metts said, still smiling. “Now, wouldn’t that be something? A brand-new addition to my family. That would make three of us.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Joe said and started to walk on again. “As soon as I find my father, I’ll tell him you want one of the puppies. If you happen to see my father, Miss Metts, I’d appreciate it if you would tell him everyone at Mandie’s house is wondering where he is.”
“I certainly will, and I certainly thank you ahead of time for the puppy,” Miss Metts said, then humming to herself, she turned and disappeared through the bushes in front of the house.
As Joe and Mandie continued down the road, Mandie said, “That was an interesting woman, wasn’t she?”
Joe looked down at her and replied, “She sure is. I’ve heard my father speak of her. At one time she came from a wealthy family. Come to think of it, she has a college education, Mandie, and that’s unusual for a country woman like that.”
Mandie grinned mischievously as she looked up at him and said, “Why, Joe Woodard, that’s not unusual for a country woman to have a college education. You are looking at a future one right now.”
“I know,” Joe said, grinning back. “What I meant was that it’s unusual to find a woman living in poverty like that with a college education.”
“Does your father think she’s all here, you know what I mean? Is she slightly off somehow?” Mandie asked.
“Mandie Shaw! What a silly question!” Joe teased her. “What made you think such a thing? That is a woman ahead of her time, with a mind of her own.”
“If you say so,” Mandie replied, still holding
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