fellow with the strongest muscles."
}There was a rumble of conversation and brags among Maybelle's male contingent, before Rossie stepped over the low-hanging rope that separated the area. Rolling up his sleeves, he eagerly went to take Arthel's place. "Let a real man put his back into it."
}"Wonderful, where can we find one?" Eustace Maitland asked sarcastically.
}Arthel walked over to the rope near the far side and wiped his damp palms on a ragged cotton towel. He glanced up and saw Dr. Foote and Emma, to whom he nodded in acknowledgment.
}Emma stiffened as if she had expected Arthel to wink suggestively at her or make an off-color comment. He did neither.
}"What kind of ice cream are you making?" Doc Odie asked.
}"Mostly apricot," he said. "Mrs. Wyse gave us some of last year's preserves to mix in. They were pretty brown, but I suspect it will be tasting all right."
}"How long have you been cranking?"
}Arthel shrugged. "Quarter of an hour, not longer. We'll have something to serve pretty soon."
}"Well, Cochise," Maybelle interrupted as she moved to his side. "I think you and me should have a powwow. I just saw the funniest thing in my life and I have to find out the whole truth right this minute."
}Arthel looked down at the pretty, petite blonde at his side. Part of him saw the childhood pest that used to follow him around like a shadow. But another part, a part he was not yet willing to acknowledge, saw a beautiful young woman in the perfect blossom of youth. Maybelle Penny gave him a sweet smile and dimpled prettily. Arthel was expressionless.
}She gave a half-glance at Emma and a flirty little wave to the doctor before launching into her wide-eyed, gigglingly told tale.
}All three listened with rapt attention.
}"—so he said that the gloves were for a special woman he was calling on," Maybelle explained midway through her story. "And I swear on a stack of Bibles I saw Tulsa May Bruder wearing those very same gloves this afternoon."
}There was a long silent pause.
}"Yes, so?" Arthel said.
}"So?" Maybelle practically squealed. "So, who was the special girl he was calling on? And why didn't she accept the gloves?"
}Arthel's stone-faced visage broke momentarily as he stared at Maybelle.
}"What makes you think that the special girl didn't accept them?"
}"If she had, then Tulsa May wouldn't have them."
}With a loud pop, Arthel slapped the towel with more force than necessary. Shaking his head, he spoke to Maybelle as if she didn't quite have good sense. "Tulsa May is the special girl."
}"What!" The exclamation was a chorus. Maybelle, Emma, and Doc Odie stared at Arthel in disbelief.
}Chapter 5
}Just before noon the political speeches began. Luther joked to Tulsa May that he did not believe this to be a very clever organization of the agenda since listening to Oklahoma politicians had caused more than one stalwart citizen to lose his lunch.
}He and Tulsa May stood at some distance from the speaker's platform, but had no trouble hearing. They had spent most of the morning eating and had no appetite for lunch, but Luther did manage to get a heavily laden tin of apricot ice cream. With a couple of makeshift wooden paddles for spoons, the two shared the treat.
}Tulsa May's prize for catching the brass ring was a bright red feather that now stuck jauntily out of her straw hat, though it clashed vividly with her bright orange hair.
}As the speeches progressed, the crowd pressed in and the two found themselves in close company with half a dozen people, including Carlisle Bowman and John Auslander.
}Bowman looked at Luther strangely. "I hear all over the place that you brought Tulsa May here."
}Without glancing over at her, Luther knew the young woman's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.
}"Yes sir, Mr. Bowman, I did," Luther replied easily. "And we're having a mighty nice time."
}Bowman snorted with disdain. "In my day a fellow didn't stand around at political speeches when his gal was near and her
}There was a rumble of conversation and brags among Maybelle's male contingent, before Rossie stepped over the low-hanging rope that separated the area. Rolling up his sleeves, he eagerly went to take Arthel's place. "Let a real man put his back into it."
}"Wonderful, where can we find one?" Eustace Maitland asked sarcastically.
}Arthel walked over to the rope near the far side and wiped his damp palms on a ragged cotton towel. He glanced up and saw Dr. Foote and Emma, to whom he nodded in acknowledgment.
}Emma stiffened as if she had expected Arthel to wink suggestively at her or make an off-color comment. He did neither.
}"What kind of ice cream are you making?" Doc Odie asked.
}"Mostly apricot," he said. "Mrs. Wyse gave us some of last year's preserves to mix in. They were pretty brown, but I suspect it will be tasting all right."
}"How long have you been cranking?"
}Arthel shrugged. "Quarter of an hour, not longer. We'll have something to serve pretty soon."
}"Well, Cochise," Maybelle interrupted as she moved to his side. "I think you and me should have a powwow. I just saw the funniest thing in my life and I have to find out the whole truth right this minute."
}Arthel looked down at the pretty, petite blonde at his side. Part of him saw the childhood pest that used to follow him around like a shadow. But another part, a part he was not yet willing to acknowledge, saw a beautiful young woman in the perfect blossom of youth. Maybelle Penny gave him a sweet smile and dimpled prettily. Arthel was expressionless.
}She gave a half-glance at Emma and a flirty little wave to the doctor before launching into her wide-eyed, gigglingly told tale.
}All three listened with rapt attention.
}"—so he said that the gloves were for a special woman he was calling on," Maybelle explained midway through her story. "And I swear on a stack of Bibles I saw Tulsa May Bruder wearing those very same gloves this afternoon."
}There was a long silent pause.
}"Yes, so?" Arthel said.
}"So?" Maybelle practically squealed. "So, who was the special girl he was calling on? And why didn't she accept the gloves?"
}Arthel's stone-faced visage broke momentarily as he stared at Maybelle.
}"What makes you think that the special girl didn't accept them?"
}"If she had, then Tulsa May wouldn't have them."
}With a loud pop, Arthel slapped the towel with more force than necessary. Shaking his head, he spoke to Maybelle as if she didn't quite have good sense. "Tulsa May is the special girl."
}"What!" The exclamation was a chorus. Maybelle, Emma, and Doc Odie stared at Arthel in disbelief.
}Chapter 5
}Just before noon the political speeches began. Luther joked to Tulsa May that he did not believe this to be a very clever organization of the agenda since listening to Oklahoma politicians had caused more than one stalwart citizen to lose his lunch.
}He and Tulsa May stood at some distance from the speaker's platform, but had no trouble hearing. They had spent most of the morning eating and had no appetite for lunch, but Luther did manage to get a heavily laden tin of apricot ice cream. With a couple of makeshift wooden paddles for spoons, the two shared the treat.
}Tulsa May's prize for catching the brass ring was a bright red feather that now stuck jauntily out of her straw hat, though it clashed vividly with her bright orange hair.
}As the speeches progressed, the crowd pressed in and the two found themselves in close company with half a dozen people, including Carlisle Bowman and John Auslander.
}Bowman looked at Luther strangely. "I hear all over the place that you brought Tulsa May here."
}Without glancing over at her, Luther knew the young woman's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.
}"Yes sir, Mr. Bowman, I did," Luther replied easily. "And we're having a mighty nice time."
}Bowman snorted with disdain. "In my day a fellow didn't stand around at political speeches when his gal was near and her
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