have a clue who the bonnet is for. You hadn't
mentioned ordering one from her. I knew it wasn't for my birthday
or your two daughters so I couldn't help her. I'm thinking there's
a woman you have in mind you failed to mention. Now I am dying of
curiosity. So who is the bonnet for?”
Bat shifted his weight from one
foot to the other and looked at his feet. “I can't tell
ya.”
“Why not? You haven't kept any
secrets from me up until now about the women you've been sizing up
for a wife. Which one is the bonnet for?” Billie
insisted.
Bat twisted, looking up and down
the street to see if anyone was watching them. This was taking way
too long, and the line was getting shorter at the church steps.
“Oh, come on, Billie. Do we have to go into this right now? We're
goin' to be late for church,” he pleaded.
“I told you that will be your
fault. Give me an answer,” Billie demanded.
Bat hissed, “I can't tell ya,
because I don't know. All right! Now are ya happy?”
Billie looked puzzled. “What do
you mean you don't know? You ordered a woman's bonnet. If you don't
know who does?”
“I don't know, because I don't
have a woman in mind yet to give the bonnet to,” he
mumbled.
“What sense does that make? Why
order a bonnet made if you don't have someone to give it to?”
Billie asked.
“I just wanted one to give her as
a gift for when I do find a woman that will marry me,” Bat said,
feeling as if he wasn't making sense.
Billie confirmed that when she
asked, “What woman in her right mind would want a gift of a bonnet
she didn't have a say in picking? Where did you get such a dumb
idea like that?”
“At the time, I didn't think it
was a dumb idea. Ya aren't going to tell Miss Leta this, are ya?”
Bat asked, feeling cornered.
Billie shrugged her shoulders.
“No, you got yourself in this predicament. I don't want her to hear
how dumb my brother is from me and make you look bad. I think she
kind of likes you, and I'm beginning to wonder why she would. I
don't want to be the one to change that. You're on your own getting
out of this mess the best way you can. Come along. You're making me
late for church.”
Bat threw his hands up in the air.
He couldn't win no matter what he did.
One day through the week, Bat
stopped to see Leta at the shop. Mrs. Huntman was just leaving. She
smiled at him conspiratorially like they shared a secret. Fact is,
it rankered him that Mrs. Huntman had already shared his secret
with every woman in town. Bat gave her a sour look and kept
walking.
Leta had her arms resting on the
counter as she watched him pass the elderly woman. “Nice to see you
again, Bat. You have a problem with Mrs. Huntman?”
“Not that I know of unless she
said something to ya about one,” Bat hedged. He hoped Leta hadn't
heard any of the rumors Mrs. Huntman had started about her and
him.
“As a matter of fact, your name
did come up,” Leta said, watching him for a reaction.
“Now why would that be?” Bat asked
irritably.
“Mrs. Huntman was wondering what
your business was that kept you coming into my shop so
often?”
“Awe, nah, what did ya tell that
nosy woman?” Bat asked, feeling like he had been put on the
spot.
Leta's lips twitched at the
corners. “I told her I never discussed my customers to
anyone.”
“I'm obliged to ya for that,” Bat
declared, feeling relieved. “Now why I came in this time was
because I wanted to know if ya would like to accompany me to church
this next Sunday?”
“Why that would be nice, but ….,”
Leta hesitated, seeming indecisive.
“What's wrong? Ya don't want to
pay any attention to what old busy body Huntman thinks,” Bat
said.
Leta grinned. “She has nothing to
do with what I was thinking. I've seen you escort your sister to
services for some time now. She might feel left out if you took me
instead. She's one of my best customers. I certainly don't want to
lose her business because of hard feelings.”
“Oh, Billie isn't like that.
mentioned ordering one from her. I knew it wasn't for my birthday
or your two daughters so I couldn't help her. I'm thinking there's
a woman you have in mind you failed to mention. Now I am dying of
curiosity. So who is the bonnet for?”
Bat shifted his weight from one
foot to the other and looked at his feet. “I can't tell
ya.”
“Why not? You haven't kept any
secrets from me up until now about the women you've been sizing up
for a wife. Which one is the bonnet for?” Billie
insisted.
Bat twisted, looking up and down
the street to see if anyone was watching them. This was taking way
too long, and the line was getting shorter at the church steps.
“Oh, come on, Billie. Do we have to go into this right now? We're
goin' to be late for church,” he pleaded.
“I told you that will be your
fault. Give me an answer,” Billie demanded.
Bat hissed, “I can't tell ya,
because I don't know. All right! Now are ya happy?”
Billie looked puzzled. “What do
you mean you don't know? You ordered a woman's bonnet. If you don't
know who does?”
“I don't know, because I don't
have a woman in mind yet to give the bonnet to,” he
mumbled.
“What sense does that make? Why
order a bonnet made if you don't have someone to give it to?”
Billie asked.
“I just wanted one to give her as
a gift for when I do find a woman that will marry me,” Bat said,
feeling as if he wasn't making sense.
Billie confirmed that when she
asked, “What woman in her right mind would want a gift of a bonnet
she didn't have a say in picking? Where did you get such a dumb
idea like that?”
“At the time, I didn't think it
was a dumb idea. Ya aren't going to tell Miss Leta this, are ya?”
Bat asked, feeling cornered.
Billie shrugged her shoulders.
“No, you got yourself in this predicament. I don't want her to hear
how dumb my brother is from me and make you look bad. I think she
kind of likes you, and I'm beginning to wonder why she would. I
don't want to be the one to change that. You're on your own getting
out of this mess the best way you can. Come along. You're making me
late for church.”
Bat threw his hands up in the air.
He couldn't win no matter what he did.
One day through the week, Bat
stopped to see Leta at the shop. Mrs. Huntman was just leaving. She
smiled at him conspiratorially like they shared a secret. Fact is,
it rankered him that Mrs. Huntman had already shared his secret
with every woman in town. Bat gave her a sour look and kept
walking.
Leta had her arms resting on the
counter as she watched him pass the elderly woman. “Nice to see you
again, Bat. You have a problem with Mrs. Huntman?”
“Not that I know of unless she
said something to ya about one,” Bat hedged. He hoped Leta hadn't
heard any of the rumors Mrs. Huntman had started about her and
him.
“As a matter of fact, your name
did come up,” Leta said, watching him for a reaction.
“Now why would that be?” Bat asked
irritably.
“Mrs. Huntman was wondering what
your business was that kept you coming into my shop so
often?”
“Awe, nah, what did ya tell that
nosy woman?” Bat asked, feeling like he had been put on the
spot.
Leta's lips twitched at the
corners. “I told her I never discussed my customers to
anyone.”
“I'm obliged to ya for that,” Bat
declared, feeling relieved. “Now why I came in this time was
because I wanted to know if ya would like to accompany me to church
this next Sunday?”
“Why that would be nice, but ….,”
Leta hesitated, seeming indecisive.
“What's wrong? Ya don't want to
pay any attention to what old busy body Huntman thinks,” Bat
said.
Leta grinned. “She has nothing to
do with what I was thinking. I've seen you escort your sister to
services for some time now. She might feel left out if you took me
instead. She's one of my best customers. I certainly don't want to
lose her business because of hard feelings.”
“Oh, Billie isn't like that.
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