42


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • MAY 2019 Susan Henderson is warming to country life When we left off last time,


Lois the storekeeper was fighting an uphill battle to temper speculation about what Junkyard Frank (and Old Jim Vincent and Marj Fuller and Gracie Issacs) thought they saw happen between Deborah and Doug McLeod as the


Chronicles by BOB COLLINS


spring musical came to an end. Harriet Murray from the newspaper had just come through the door. Rural Redemption, part 110, continues ... Lois the storekeeper laid


down the law for Harriet Murray and all the store patrons. She lectured them sternly about the evils of rumour and speculation and extracted a promise from each and every one of them that everything that had supposedly been seen and everything that had been said about it would stay in the store and nothing more would be said about it. Jim Vincent said it was the


kind of thing that would be hard to keep a lid on. Harriet Murray said as a reporter for the paper, she had a responsibility to inform the public. Lois said that was hogwash and no real reporter would think of spreading such a rumour. Harriet Murray bristled at the inference she


might not be a real reporter and said it was freedom of the press. Lois turned to Junkyard


Frank. “Frank, if Harriet puts this in the paper and someone sues her, would you be willing to swear in court what you saw?” “Well,” said


Woodshed


Frank, “I know what it looked like but then again, things ain’t always quite what


they seem so I probably wouldn’t want to say it in any court.”


“I couldn’t have said it any


better myself,” said Lois, who went on to explain that anyone who didn’t promise to clam up and put the brakes on it then and there would have to start shopping at another store. “What other store?” asked


Jim Vincent. “That’s a good question,


Jimmy. Maybe someone else knows?” Lois looked from face to face and extracted a nod and mumbled agreement from each in turn. “Okay, then. Let’s not hear another word about it.” The whole thing was on


the backburner, but Lois knew it would simmer away and wondered just how long she’d be able to keep a lid on it.


vvv The crowing of Newt


Pullman’s Rhode Island Red rooster woke Susan at dawn. She slid the window open and listened to the exuberant proclamations echo through the woods for half an hour. There was bird chatter in the trees and a lone diehard from the thousands of tree frogs who sang her to sleep was still at it. Delightful, she thought. None of the clamour and racket of the city. Cows started mooing. Ashley and Christopher


found Susan sitting on the front steps with Duchess, drinking coffee and watching the morning sun spreading down the side of the mountain. “It’s gorgeous here,” said


Susan. “So peaceful and quiet. I can see why you like it so much.” Ashley sat down beside her and slipped her arm around Susan’s shoulder. “I’m really glad you’re here, Grandma.” “Me, too,” said Susan. “What should we have for


breakfast?” asked Christopher. By mid-morning, Ashley was off to clean stalls and ride her horse at Edna’s. Christopher went to Newt’s to spend some time halter- breaking his 4-H heifer. Lisa Lundgren was meeting him there.


Susan took another cup of


coffee out to the front porch. Duchess stood suddenly and started barking toward the corner of the house. A minute later an old black dog with a greying muzzle walked stiffly


in to view. His step quickened and his tail started wagging as soon as he saw Susan. Rocky climbed the steps to where Susan was sitting and started licking at her face. “Here, Rocky. That’ll do,


boy. Sorry, Susan. The old boy used to live here and I think he still figures one day Tiny’s going to come home again.” “Newt? Where did you


come from?” “Rocky and I were just out


for a walk on the old skid trail up back. Christopher said they left you here on your own and I figured we’d stop by on the way home and see if there’s anything you need.” “Thank you. I think I’m all set. I was just taking in the peace and quiet, and the view.” “It’s a picture all right,” said


Newt. “I’ve got coffee on; would


you care for a cup?” “I would, thank you.” “Would you like to come


in?”


“I think maybe you’ve got the right idea sitting here on the steps. You never know what folks might have to say if they find out you invited the first bachelor who showed up in for coffee.” Susan laughed. “Why, Mr. Pullman, how


awfully chivalrous of you. Pull up a stair while I get the coffee. How do you take yours?”


Susan returned and sat


You’ve tried the rest.


Now try the


BEST.


next to Newt and passed him a cup of coffee. “Mind if I ask you a couple of questions?” said Susan. “Shoot.” “How did you come by the name Newt, and who is Tiny?” “Well, that could end up taking more telling than


you’d care to hear.” “I’ll here for two weeks. I’ll


stop you before I leave if you’re still at it.” Newt laughed. “Okay. You asked for it,” he


said. “Better put on another pot of coffee.”


vvv


He talked for an hour. Newt told her about Herschel, Darwin and Newton, the Pullman brothers. He told her about his mother and about Colonel Meldrum and how folks called them Meldrum’s Brigade when they were kids. And he told her about Tiny Olsen, and what a friend he’d been through all the years and how Rocky still got excited every time they came to the old house. And about Tiny’s late-in-life marriage to the widow Peterson and how all that had come to pass after Bonnie the Clyde had run away with Cec and Eunice Montgomery on their wedding day and tore through the widow’s dahlia patch and bounced the bride and groom out of the cart and into the compost pile. And how the widow fainted dead away and Tiny carried her into the house and she gave Tiny an apple pie and started having him over for dinner every Sunday afternoon after church. And one thing led to another. “And as Forrest Gump said,


“That’s all I got to say about that,” said Newt. “They say what’s good for the gander is good for the goose, Mrs. Henderson, so I’ve got a question for you.” “Shoot,” said Susan. “What have you been up


to before today?” ... To be continued


1-866-820-7603 | BAUMALIGHT.COM Dale Howe | (403) 462-1975 | dale@baumalight.com


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