trying to cut it short. Finally he said, “I’m not going to take too much of your time, Susanna. My hope is that you can put a lid on this thing before it really starts to boil. You know the holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving is just days away. The timing on this ridiculous secondhand store couldn’t be worse.” He shook his head. “What is wrong with that woman anyway?”
Susanna had no answer to that but said, “Perhaps . . . do you think it would help if you paid her a visit?”
“Me?” He looked surprised.
“As a goodwill gesture. Maybe you could reason with her. She might respect that the mayor of our city took the time to befriend her and help her find a solution to this.”
He looked thoughtful, then finally nodded. “You know, Susanna, that is not a bad idea. If it works, it wouldn’t be bad PR for the mayor’s office either.”
“Not at all.”
He nodded. “Okay, then I’ll give it a whirl.”
“Good for you.”
He glanced at his watch. “In fact, I don’t have another appointment until after lunch. So if we’re done here . . .”
“As far as I’m concerned.” She stood.
He chuckled as he saw her out of his office. “I’ve seen that Matilda Honeycutt around town a few times. Strange bird. My wife says she’s just an old hippie. That may be so, but I had some friends like that back in my college days, before I met my wife. It’s not something I usually talk about, but I was a bit of a rebel back then. A nonconformist, if you know what I mean.”
She smiled. “I never would’ve guessed that, sir.”
“Oh yeah. I had some wild ideas back in my day. I have to hand it to her, I mean, that someone my age—anyway, that’s my best guess—would be comfortable enough in her own skin to go around town looking like that .” He shook his head with a bewildered expression. “Of course, that was one thing back in the sixties. Can you imagine what folks would say if I went around with long hair and sandals and love beads now? They’d be thinking the mayor had lost his mind.” He laughed.
Susanna laughed too. As she returned to her office, she tried to imagine Mayor Gordon dressed like he’d described, but it was impossible. She’d never once seen the mayor in anything less formal than casual business wear. Still, it would be highly amusing.
“What are you smiling about?” Alice asked as Susanna stopped by her desk.
“Oh, nothing.” Susanna gave Alice a list of tasks to complete before this evening’s council meeting. “Mayor Gordon is going to talk to Ms. Honeycutt now, but I still want to do everything I can—get our ducks in a row—just in case this turns into a battle zone tonight.”
“I’m on it,” Alice promised.
Susanna returned to her office to go over the budget some more. By lunchtime, she was feeling extremely curious as to how the mayor’s visit had gone. Not only that, but she was determined to try once more to talk some sense into Ms. Honeycutt before this got any further out of hand. She hurried over to the Barton Building, arriving just in time to see the mayor emerging.
Susanna blinked, seeing that he had an old catcher’s mitt with him. In fact, he was actually wearing it, along with a very odd expression—sort of a dazed-looking smile.
“Mayor?” she said.
He looked at her as if trying to place her face. “Oh, Susanna,” he finally said. Then he chuckled. “That reminds me of a song.” He broke into singing, “‘Oh, Susanna, don’t you cry for me. ’Cause I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.’” He laughed as if that were hilarious.
“How did it go?” she asked him, trying not to question his sanity.
“Just great,” he said.
“She’s willing to close the business?”
“Well . . . uh . . . I don’t know.” He looked perplexed. “I’m not really sure.”
“But I thought you—”
“I have to get going,” he said as if he were suddenly uncomfortable about something. “I’ve got some unfinished
Susanna had no answer to that but said, “Perhaps . . . do you think it would help if you paid her a visit?”
“Me?” He looked surprised.
“As a goodwill gesture. Maybe you could reason with her. She might respect that the mayor of our city took the time to befriend her and help her find a solution to this.”
He looked thoughtful, then finally nodded. “You know, Susanna, that is not a bad idea. If it works, it wouldn’t be bad PR for the mayor’s office either.”
“Not at all.”
He nodded. “Okay, then I’ll give it a whirl.”
“Good for you.”
He glanced at his watch. “In fact, I don’t have another appointment until after lunch. So if we’re done here . . .”
“As far as I’m concerned.” She stood.
He chuckled as he saw her out of his office. “I’ve seen that Matilda Honeycutt around town a few times. Strange bird. My wife says she’s just an old hippie. That may be so, but I had some friends like that back in my college days, before I met my wife. It’s not something I usually talk about, but I was a bit of a rebel back then. A nonconformist, if you know what I mean.”
She smiled. “I never would’ve guessed that, sir.”
“Oh yeah. I had some wild ideas back in my day. I have to hand it to her, I mean, that someone my age—anyway, that’s my best guess—would be comfortable enough in her own skin to go around town looking like that .” He shook his head with a bewildered expression. “Of course, that was one thing back in the sixties. Can you imagine what folks would say if I went around with long hair and sandals and love beads now? They’d be thinking the mayor had lost his mind.” He laughed.
Susanna laughed too. As she returned to her office, she tried to imagine Mayor Gordon dressed like he’d described, but it was impossible. She’d never once seen the mayor in anything less formal than casual business wear. Still, it would be highly amusing.
“What are you smiling about?” Alice asked as Susanna stopped by her desk.
“Oh, nothing.” Susanna gave Alice a list of tasks to complete before this evening’s council meeting. “Mayor Gordon is going to talk to Ms. Honeycutt now, but I still want to do everything I can—get our ducks in a row—just in case this turns into a battle zone tonight.”
“I’m on it,” Alice promised.
Susanna returned to her office to go over the budget some more. By lunchtime, she was feeling extremely curious as to how the mayor’s visit had gone. Not only that, but she was determined to try once more to talk some sense into Ms. Honeycutt before this got any further out of hand. She hurried over to the Barton Building, arriving just in time to see the mayor emerging.
Susanna blinked, seeing that he had an old catcher’s mitt with him. In fact, he was actually wearing it, along with a very odd expression—sort of a dazed-looking smile.
“Mayor?” she said.
He looked at her as if trying to place her face. “Oh, Susanna,” he finally said. Then he chuckled. “That reminds me of a song.” He broke into singing, “‘Oh, Susanna, don’t you cry for me. ’Cause I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.’” He laughed as if that were hilarious.
“How did it go?” she asked him, trying not to question his sanity.
“Just great,” he said.
“She’s willing to close the business?”
“Well . . . uh . . . I don’t know.” He looked perplexed. “I’m not really sure.”
“But I thought you—”
“I have to get going,” he said as if he were suddenly uncomfortable about something. “I’ve got some unfinished
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