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Authors: Deeanne Gist
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bark.
‘‘Crook?’’ the sheriff asked, still keeping his attention on Currington.
‘‘Everything’s fine,’’ Hamilton answered.
The tension in the room dissipated with his words, only to be replaced with a resurgence of excitement as Essie, Vandervoort, and the children all started explaining what had happened. The cowboy helped the last two women from their perches without a word, then picked up his hat and slipped out the door.
Hamilton noted the sheriff missed none of it, though he appeared to be listening to Essie’s explanation.
‘‘So you see, it was really my fault,’’ she continued. ‘‘I had told the children that anyone who brought in a mouse for our snake would receive a chance to actually feed it.’’
With Currington gone, the sheriff relaxed and rubbed his neck. ‘‘Looks like a twister went through here. You catch ’em all?’’
‘‘Yes, we did. And I’ll have this mess cleaned up in no time.’’
He smiled. ‘‘I know you will.’’
Sheriff Dunn was Mrs. Spreckelmeyer’s brother and a lifelong friend to Mr. Spreckelmeyer. As Essie’s uncle, he held particular affection for her. Hamilton suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, irritated over the sheriff ’s partiality to Essie almost as much as he had been over the cowboy’s easy banter.
‘‘Want to see the mice?’’ she asked.
‘‘I’d rather see the king.’’
She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the snake’s crate.
After a long look, the sheriff whistled his appreciation. ‘‘That’s a beauty, sugar. You catch that all by yourself?’’
‘‘She shore did,’’ little Harley said. ‘‘This thing here had me and Emily Wedick scared something awful. But Miss Essie snatched it up with her bare hands and stuffed it in a gunnysack. She didn’t scream or nothin’. And she caught two of them mouses, too.’’
Dunn chuckled. ‘‘Well, if she keeps this up, I just might have to deputize her.’’
Some of the women snickered and Mrs. Tyner, who a few moments earlier had been perched on the counter, put her hands on her hips and snorted.
‘‘Of all the ridiculous things,’’ she said. ‘‘A woman deputy, indeed.’’
Sheriff Dunn straightened his spine, having no tolerance for disparaging remarks concerning his niece.
Old Vandervoort jumped in, waving the bust enhancer in the air triumphantly. ‘‘Well, I’ll tell you something. I ain’t never seen a mouse catcher that works so good as this one. Where’d you get this, Miss Essie?’’
Miss Sadie Tyner took one look at the thing and gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. Hamilton appraised the girl, comprehension dawning, only to blush profusely when Miss Sadie caught his speculative perusal. Blood drained from her face.
‘‘Why, I found it gathering dust in the back,’’ Essie answered. ‘‘Would you like to purchase it?’’
‘‘I surely would,’’ Vandervoort replied, tucking it under his arm like a fancy gentleman’s riding crop.
‘‘Me too,’’ Mr. Owen said. Followed by seconds from Jenkins and Richie.
‘‘Wonderful. Hamilton?’’ Essie turned to him, flushed with pleasure. ‘‘If you’ll write their orders, I’ll start cleaning up this mess.’’
He snatched the bust enhancer out of Vandervoort’s grasp. ‘‘This isn’t for sale.’’
‘‘Oh,’’ Essie replied. ‘‘Well, all right, then. We’ll just order Mr. Vandervoort one, too.’’
‘‘No,’’ Hamilton said, beads of sweat forming on his brow. If these ladies figured out what this was he’d be ruined.
Essie frowned at him.
Shaking, he wanted nothing more than to toss her out on her backside. He cleared his throat. ‘‘I’m afraid . . . that is, I’m sorry, but the firm that made them has . . . has failed.’’
Miss Sadie pressed a handkerchief to her brow, looking faint, but apart from Hamilton, no one took notice.
‘‘Oh no!’’ Essie said. ‘‘Are you sure?’’
‘‘Quite sure.’’ Turning his
‘‘Crook?’’ the sheriff asked, still keeping his attention on Currington.
‘‘Everything’s fine,’’ Hamilton answered.
The tension in the room dissipated with his words, only to be replaced with a resurgence of excitement as Essie, Vandervoort, and the children all started explaining what had happened. The cowboy helped the last two women from their perches without a word, then picked up his hat and slipped out the door.
Hamilton noted the sheriff missed none of it, though he appeared to be listening to Essie’s explanation.
‘‘So you see, it was really my fault,’’ she continued. ‘‘I had told the children that anyone who brought in a mouse for our snake would receive a chance to actually feed it.’’
With Currington gone, the sheriff relaxed and rubbed his neck. ‘‘Looks like a twister went through here. You catch ’em all?’’
‘‘Yes, we did. And I’ll have this mess cleaned up in no time.’’
He smiled. ‘‘I know you will.’’
Sheriff Dunn was Mrs. Spreckelmeyer’s brother and a lifelong friend to Mr. Spreckelmeyer. As Essie’s uncle, he held particular affection for her. Hamilton suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, irritated over the sheriff ’s partiality to Essie almost as much as he had been over the cowboy’s easy banter.
‘‘Want to see the mice?’’ she asked.
‘‘I’d rather see the king.’’
She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the snake’s crate.
After a long look, the sheriff whistled his appreciation. ‘‘That’s a beauty, sugar. You catch that all by yourself?’’
‘‘She shore did,’’ little Harley said. ‘‘This thing here had me and Emily Wedick scared something awful. But Miss Essie snatched it up with her bare hands and stuffed it in a gunnysack. She didn’t scream or nothin’. And she caught two of them mouses, too.’’
Dunn chuckled. ‘‘Well, if she keeps this up, I just might have to deputize her.’’
Some of the women snickered and Mrs. Tyner, who a few moments earlier had been perched on the counter, put her hands on her hips and snorted.
‘‘Of all the ridiculous things,’’ she said. ‘‘A woman deputy, indeed.’’
Sheriff Dunn straightened his spine, having no tolerance for disparaging remarks concerning his niece.
Old Vandervoort jumped in, waving the bust enhancer in the air triumphantly. ‘‘Well, I’ll tell you something. I ain’t never seen a mouse catcher that works so good as this one. Where’d you get this, Miss Essie?’’
Miss Sadie Tyner took one look at the thing and gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. Hamilton appraised the girl, comprehension dawning, only to blush profusely when Miss Sadie caught his speculative perusal. Blood drained from her face.
‘‘Why, I found it gathering dust in the back,’’ Essie answered. ‘‘Would you like to purchase it?’’
‘‘I surely would,’’ Vandervoort replied, tucking it under his arm like a fancy gentleman’s riding crop.
‘‘Me too,’’ Mr. Owen said. Followed by seconds from Jenkins and Richie.
‘‘Wonderful. Hamilton?’’ Essie turned to him, flushed with pleasure. ‘‘If you’ll write their orders, I’ll start cleaning up this mess.’’
He snatched the bust enhancer out of Vandervoort’s grasp. ‘‘This isn’t for sale.’’
‘‘Oh,’’ Essie replied. ‘‘Well, all right, then. We’ll just order Mr. Vandervoort one, too.’’
‘‘No,’’ Hamilton said, beads of sweat forming on his brow. If these ladies figured out what this was he’d be ruined.
Essie frowned at him.
Shaking, he wanted nothing more than to toss her out on her backside. He cleared his throat. ‘‘I’m afraid . . . that is, I’m sorry, but the firm that made them has . . . has failed.’’
Miss Sadie pressed a handkerchief to her brow, looking faint, but apart from Hamilton, no one took notice.
‘‘Oh no!’’ Essie said. ‘‘Are you sure?’’
‘‘Quite sure.’’ Turning his
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