this nice lady. She was easy to talk
to and a good listener just like Hannah and Billie.
However, he didn’t want her to
think badly of him. He was pretty sure Leta would think he was
crazy if he told her he didn’t have a clue who he’d give the bonnet
to when she finished it.
So he changed the subject. “That
sure was nice of ya to fix supper for me, but it's like more work
to cook when you've been workin' at the shop all day. We'll have to
go back to the hotel soon. My treat this time, and someone else can
do the cookin' for us. That way ya can just sit and enjoy the
meal.”
“All right, I will. You're very
thoughtful,” Leta said, giving him that warm smile he'd began to
expect.
That Sunday on the walk to church,
Billie burst out with, “So you asked Leta out to lunch the other
day at the hotel? That was pretty daring. In front of a big crowd
of people that could gawk and talk about you eating lunch with the
town seamstress. What do you think of Leta?”
“She's nice enough. To be admired,
I suppose for being a successful business woman. Not many women can
stand on their own two feet and keep the bills paid without needing
a man to help them. Reckon she just ain't my type.” Bat stopped
walking and glanced at Billie. She was studying him as if she'd
just caught him in a lie. “Oh, now wait a minute. It ain't what ya
think. Me bein' with Miss Leta was only business.”
Billie lowered her parasol and put
her hands on her hips. “Business? Really? Can you explain away
Leta's next door neighbor, Mrs. Huntman, telling me and any other
woman that wants to listen, she saw you going into Leta's house one
evening this week. She said you stayed for all evening until
bedtime. That business, too?”
Bat felt his face grow hot. “Mrs.
Huntman should learn to mind her own business. As a matter of fact,
goin' to Leta's house was business, too.”
“Unhuh, Just so you know, Leta
said the same thing when I talked to her so you two are keeping
your stories straight. Well, now answer me one more question. Who
you giving the bonnet to that she's making for you?”
“Listen, you're goin' to make us
late for church if you don't stop talkin' and start walkin'. Hurry
up,” Bat said, walking faster.
Billie grabbed Bat's arm and
pulled him to a stop. “No, you are the one that will make us late
if you don't answer me. I'm not moving from this spot until you
do,” Billie said as she folded her arms over her chest and braced
her high top shoes in the grass.
“What was the question?” Bat said,
waving at Otis Campbell as the elderly man headed up the church
steps.
Billie's eyes narrowed. “Stop
stalling. After all this time of telling me none of the women in
town will do, apparently you have someone special in mind that you
failed to mention to me. Who is Leta making that
bonnet?”
“Why did Leta have to tell ya
about the bonnet? She told me she didn't talk about her customers
orders. And to think I believed her. Don't ya women ever keep a
secret from each other?” Bat complained.
“Very rarely.
Ordinarily, Leta would have kept this one. She's very conscientious
about not talking about her customers orders. If it hadn't been for
your being so secretive about who gets that bonnet she's making,
she wouldn't have said a thing to me.
Leta hoped I'd know who you meant
to give the bonnet to before she finishes it. She had some
questions about the style of the bonnet that you weren't
answering.
Leta has a lot of customers in
this town, and she didn't want the lady that gets that bonnet to be
unhappy with her work. That would be bad for her
business.
She said you weren't any help at
all when she asked you questions about the bonnet. I told her I
wasn't surprised. You didn't even know whether you had a mop and
broom at your house when I asked you.” Billie stopped talking to
catch her breath.
“Oh, Billie, you didn't say that,
did ya?” Bat asked, offended.
“Relax, I'm just pulling your leg.
I told Leta I didn't
to and a good listener just like Hannah and Billie.
However, he didn’t want her to
think badly of him. He was pretty sure Leta would think he was
crazy if he told her he didn’t have a clue who he’d give the bonnet
to when she finished it.
So he changed the subject. “That
sure was nice of ya to fix supper for me, but it's like more work
to cook when you've been workin' at the shop all day. We'll have to
go back to the hotel soon. My treat this time, and someone else can
do the cookin' for us. That way ya can just sit and enjoy the
meal.”
“All right, I will. You're very
thoughtful,” Leta said, giving him that warm smile he'd began to
expect.
That Sunday on the walk to church,
Billie burst out with, “So you asked Leta out to lunch the other
day at the hotel? That was pretty daring. In front of a big crowd
of people that could gawk and talk about you eating lunch with the
town seamstress. What do you think of Leta?”
“She's nice enough. To be admired,
I suppose for being a successful business woman. Not many women can
stand on their own two feet and keep the bills paid without needing
a man to help them. Reckon she just ain't my type.” Bat stopped
walking and glanced at Billie. She was studying him as if she'd
just caught him in a lie. “Oh, now wait a minute. It ain't what ya
think. Me bein' with Miss Leta was only business.”
Billie lowered her parasol and put
her hands on her hips. “Business? Really? Can you explain away
Leta's next door neighbor, Mrs. Huntman, telling me and any other
woman that wants to listen, she saw you going into Leta's house one
evening this week. She said you stayed for all evening until
bedtime. That business, too?”
Bat felt his face grow hot. “Mrs.
Huntman should learn to mind her own business. As a matter of fact,
goin' to Leta's house was business, too.”
“Unhuh, Just so you know, Leta
said the same thing when I talked to her so you two are keeping
your stories straight. Well, now answer me one more question. Who
you giving the bonnet to that she's making for you?”
“Listen, you're goin' to make us
late for church if you don't stop talkin' and start walkin'. Hurry
up,” Bat said, walking faster.
Billie grabbed Bat's arm and
pulled him to a stop. “No, you are the one that will make us late
if you don't answer me. I'm not moving from this spot until you
do,” Billie said as she folded her arms over her chest and braced
her high top shoes in the grass.
“What was the question?” Bat said,
waving at Otis Campbell as the elderly man headed up the church
steps.
Billie's eyes narrowed. “Stop
stalling. After all this time of telling me none of the women in
town will do, apparently you have someone special in mind that you
failed to mention to me. Who is Leta making that
bonnet?”
“Why did Leta have to tell ya
about the bonnet? She told me she didn't talk about her customers
orders. And to think I believed her. Don't ya women ever keep a
secret from each other?” Bat complained.
“Very rarely.
Ordinarily, Leta would have kept this one. She's very conscientious
about not talking about her customers orders. If it hadn't been for
your being so secretive about who gets that bonnet she's making,
she wouldn't have said a thing to me.
Leta hoped I'd know who you meant
to give the bonnet to before she finishes it. She had some
questions about the style of the bonnet that you weren't
answering.
Leta has a lot of customers in
this town, and she didn't want the lady that gets that bonnet to be
unhappy with her work. That would be bad for her
business.
She said you weren't any help at
all when she asked you questions about the bonnet. I told her I
wasn't surprised. You didn't even know whether you had a mop and
broom at your house when I asked you.” Billie stopped talking to
catch her breath.
“Oh, Billie, you didn't say that,
did ya?” Bat asked, offended.
“Relax, I'm just pulling your leg.
I told Leta I didn't
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