situation. Naturally, he would leave the roads to avoid the danger of being run down. Taking to the fields would be a wise choice because of the difference in physical fitness between Delmar and his overweight brother.
The difficult part of the search would be determining how far Delmar would run before hiding. The boy had both good stamina and motivation, so he could have run quite a distance in a relatively short time. After several fruitless hours of searching, the Hassels decided to head for home.
“Robert,” Agnes said, “I don’t like the thought of that boy being out there alone and hungry.”
“I know what you mean, honey,” replied her husband, “but there’s not much we can do until he shows up.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a ground car pulling into the driveway. Robert looked out the window to see a police vehicle in the lane. As the officer stepped onto the porch, Robert opened the door and stepped out, Agnes just behind him.
“Morning, sir. Ma’am,” the officer greeted them.
“What’s up, officer?” Robert asked.
“We have a complaint against you for threatening a neighbor with a gun last night,” the officer said.
“That’s true officer,” Robert returned. “He was drunk and acting in a threatening manner toward my wife.”
“Is that true, ma’am?” asked the officer, looking at the small woman.
“Yes sir,” Agnes replied. “I told him to get off our property.”
“Did you shoot at him, sir?” the man asked Robert.
“No sir.”
“I shot at him,” Agnes spoke up. “When he hesitated, I put a slug into the fence post next to him.” She pointed at the blasted fence post near the officer’s ground car. The officer stepped off the porch and examined the fence post. He then returned to the porch and stood silently before the older couple.
“Well ma’am,” he began, “a complaint was filed, and we’re required by law to investigate. I’m going to have to give you a warning and charge you with assault.”
“What!” the couple exclaimed together. “What do you mean?”
“That’s right, folks,” he said. “As investigating officer I consider you, ma’am, as presenting a deadly hazard to innocent fence posts,” he added with a smile.
When the couple remained speechless, the officer continued, “I hereby place you into the custody of your husband and require you to perform two hours of target practice.” Robert and Agnes both let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the officer.
“What about the complaint?” asked Robert.
“We know the party who issued the complaint and have for some time,” the officer said. “In fact, he was almost too drunk to file the complaint. Officially, we had to investigate his complaint and I was the lucky one sent out to do it.”
“Why do you say you’re the lucky one, officer?” Robert asked.
“Because I’m the one who gets to ask for some of Miss Agnes’ famous apple pie.”
“Well then, let’s go inside,” invited Robert, holding the door for Agnes and the officer. Agnes stopped abruptly and turned again to the officer, her nose buried halfway up his chest.
“What are you going to say on your report?” she asked as she stepped back, a worried expression on her face.
“That the shooting was justified,” he answered. “Half the guys down at the station would like to run Dorn in, but can’t. In fact, they’re somewhat disappointed that you didn’t bag the scum. How could you miss?”
“I didn’t miss,” Agnes said. “If I’d shot him, there would have been a big mess to clean up and lots of paperwork afterwards. I thought hitting the fence post next to him would be sufficient.”
“In that case, ma’am, I rescind the requirement about target practice,” the officer said and they continued into the house. “I couldn’t have hit that close to the center of the post if I’d tried.”
They went inside and while Agnes cut the officer a large piece of pie, Robert poured
The difficult part of the search would be determining how far Delmar would run before hiding. The boy had both good stamina and motivation, so he could have run quite a distance in a relatively short time. After several fruitless hours of searching, the Hassels decided to head for home.
“Robert,” Agnes said, “I don’t like the thought of that boy being out there alone and hungry.”
“I know what you mean, honey,” replied her husband, “but there’s not much we can do until he shows up.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a ground car pulling into the driveway. Robert looked out the window to see a police vehicle in the lane. As the officer stepped onto the porch, Robert opened the door and stepped out, Agnes just behind him.
“Morning, sir. Ma’am,” the officer greeted them.
“What’s up, officer?” Robert asked.
“We have a complaint against you for threatening a neighbor with a gun last night,” the officer said.
“That’s true officer,” Robert returned. “He was drunk and acting in a threatening manner toward my wife.”
“Is that true, ma’am?” asked the officer, looking at the small woman.
“Yes sir,” Agnes replied. “I told him to get off our property.”
“Did you shoot at him, sir?” the man asked Robert.
“No sir.”
“I shot at him,” Agnes spoke up. “When he hesitated, I put a slug into the fence post next to him.” She pointed at the blasted fence post near the officer’s ground car. The officer stepped off the porch and examined the fence post. He then returned to the porch and stood silently before the older couple.
“Well ma’am,” he began, “a complaint was filed, and we’re required by law to investigate. I’m going to have to give you a warning and charge you with assault.”
“What!” the couple exclaimed together. “What do you mean?”
“That’s right, folks,” he said. “As investigating officer I consider you, ma’am, as presenting a deadly hazard to innocent fence posts,” he added with a smile.
When the couple remained speechless, the officer continued, “I hereby place you into the custody of your husband and require you to perform two hours of target practice.” Robert and Agnes both let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the officer.
“What about the complaint?” asked Robert.
“We know the party who issued the complaint and have for some time,” the officer said. “In fact, he was almost too drunk to file the complaint. Officially, we had to investigate his complaint and I was the lucky one sent out to do it.”
“Why do you say you’re the lucky one, officer?” Robert asked.
“Because I’m the one who gets to ask for some of Miss Agnes’ famous apple pie.”
“Well then, let’s go inside,” invited Robert, holding the door for Agnes and the officer. Agnes stopped abruptly and turned again to the officer, her nose buried halfway up his chest.
“What are you going to say on your report?” she asked as she stepped back, a worried expression on her face.
“That the shooting was justified,” he answered. “Half the guys down at the station would like to run Dorn in, but can’t. In fact, they’re somewhat disappointed that you didn’t bag the scum. How could you miss?”
“I didn’t miss,” Agnes said. “If I’d shot him, there would have been a big mess to clean up and lots of paperwork afterwards. I thought hitting the fence post next to him would be sufficient.”
“In that case, ma’am, I rescind the requirement about target practice,” the officer said and they continued into the house. “I couldn’t have hit that close to the center of the post if I’d tried.”
They went inside and while Agnes cut the officer a large piece of pie, Robert poured
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