to Jay the country was poised on the brink of falling into the conflict no matter what the politicians were saying. From what he read and heard, the average joe wasn’t all that anxious to jump into the war. It was fine to supply the guns and ammunition, whatever it took, to stop the Germans, but that didn’t mean they had to go over to do the shooting themselves. Let the English fight the war. They’d cheer them on from this side of the ocean.
He would have to go. Not to the war. Not if the president kept his word. But to serve. The draftees had to sign up for a year in the Army. A year wasn’t so long. It wouldn’t bepleasant. Not easy like standing in the sun slapping paint on a house, but he could do a year. He’d have to, since he figured it was only a matter of time before a draft notice caught up with him. Other men his age and younger were already being tapped on the shoulder by Uncle Sam. Even here in peaceful little Rosey Corner. Graham told him Carl Noland had joined up with the Navy before the draft could grab him. He was heading out for a training camp next week.
Jay dipped his brush in the paint and smoothed it on the rough board. The skin under his eye was still a funny purplish green from the punch he’d let that hayseed land on him. If he had it to do over, he might duck away from the guy’s fist and land his own fist in the farm boy’s midsection. That would have taken the air out of his overinflated sails. Help toughen him up for what he was sure to find in the service.
The early October sun reflecting off the white boards was heating up, and he looked around for a shaded spot that needed painting. Just till the sun began heading toward the horizon. But Graham had already grabbed the spot under the tree. Jay watched him a minute and wasn’t sure but what he might be painting the same planks over again instead of moving out into the sun or climbing up a ladder. The man’s old dog had scratched out a fresh hole back in the deep shade and was settled in behind him.
Jay was beginning to think Graham had been painting on this very same house all summer, but Mrs. Harrelson didn’t seem to mind. She brought them ice water a couple of times a day and sometimes dragged a metal lawn chair around to sit and watch. Graham said she’d been a widow for three years. Jay was wondering if she was trying to snag a new husband in Graham, but when he suggested that, the man laughed and shook his head.
“My marrying days are long past. Poe and me, we’re too old to learn new ways.”
“Then it might be you ought to tell Mrs. Harrelson that, because I think she has a twinkle in her eyes when she’s looking your way,” Jay told him.
“Long as that twinkle don’t catch fire. That happens, me and Poe, we’ll be heading for the woods.”
Graham was an interesting companion and the dog wasn’t too stinky. Jay didn’t regret the week he’d spent in Rosey Corner. It hadn’t been so bad except for the black eye and the blisters from the paintbrush and the wasp stings on his ear from not swatting fast enough when he disturbed a nest up under the eaves of the house. Those kinds of things or worse could happen anywhere.
He did regret that Kate hadn’t come around. He’d thought she would just out of curiosity. She knew he was still there. He and Graham went to the store for pop and bologna sandwiches at noon. Mrs. Harrelson didn’t have enough of a twinkle in her eye to feed them lunch. But each time they went in the store, Kate kept disappearing back in the stockroom or out the front door with a box of groceries or who knew where. Anywhere but where she would have to say hello to him.
He might have begun to wonder if he’d lost his touch with the girls if some of the other Rosey Corner lovelies hadn’t started finding reasons to walk past Mrs. Harrelson’s house a few times a day. But not Kate. She wasn’t the average girl. Already nineteen going on twenty and not worried about no ring on her
He would have to go. Not to the war. Not if the president kept his word. But to serve. The draftees had to sign up for a year in the Army. A year wasn’t so long. It wouldn’t bepleasant. Not easy like standing in the sun slapping paint on a house, but he could do a year. He’d have to, since he figured it was only a matter of time before a draft notice caught up with him. Other men his age and younger were already being tapped on the shoulder by Uncle Sam. Even here in peaceful little Rosey Corner. Graham told him Carl Noland had joined up with the Navy before the draft could grab him. He was heading out for a training camp next week.
Jay dipped his brush in the paint and smoothed it on the rough board. The skin under his eye was still a funny purplish green from the punch he’d let that hayseed land on him. If he had it to do over, he might duck away from the guy’s fist and land his own fist in the farm boy’s midsection. That would have taken the air out of his overinflated sails. Help toughen him up for what he was sure to find in the service.
The early October sun reflecting off the white boards was heating up, and he looked around for a shaded spot that needed painting. Just till the sun began heading toward the horizon. But Graham had already grabbed the spot under the tree. Jay watched him a minute and wasn’t sure but what he might be painting the same planks over again instead of moving out into the sun or climbing up a ladder. The man’s old dog had scratched out a fresh hole back in the deep shade and was settled in behind him.
Jay was beginning to think Graham had been painting on this very same house all summer, but Mrs. Harrelson didn’t seem to mind. She brought them ice water a couple of times a day and sometimes dragged a metal lawn chair around to sit and watch. Graham said she’d been a widow for three years. Jay was wondering if she was trying to snag a new husband in Graham, but when he suggested that, the man laughed and shook his head.
“My marrying days are long past. Poe and me, we’re too old to learn new ways.”
“Then it might be you ought to tell Mrs. Harrelson that, because I think she has a twinkle in her eyes when she’s looking your way,” Jay told him.
“Long as that twinkle don’t catch fire. That happens, me and Poe, we’ll be heading for the woods.”
Graham was an interesting companion and the dog wasn’t too stinky. Jay didn’t regret the week he’d spent in Rosey Corner. It hadn’t been so bad except for the black eye and the blisters from the paintbrush and the wasp stings on his ear from not swatting fast enough when he disturbed a nest up under the eaves of the house. Those kinds of things or worse could happen anywhere.
He did regret that Kate hadn’t come around. He’d thought she would just out of curiosity. She knew he was still there. He and Graham went to the store for pop and bologna sandwiches at noon. Mrs. Harrelson didn’t have enough of a twinkle in her eye to feed them lunch. But each time they went in the store, Kate kept disappearing back in the stockroom or out the front door with a box of groceries or who knew where. Anywhere but where she would have to say hello to him.
He might have begun to wonder if he’d lost his touch with the girls if some of the other Rosey Corner lovelies hadn’t started finding reasons to walk past Mrs. Harrelson’s house a few times a day. But not Kate. She wasn’t the average girl. Already nineteen going on twenty and not worried about no ring on her
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