Calder carried with her like a storm cloud was somehow comforting. Cooper had just met Jasper, but he was starting to think the old man could only add to the town's charm.
"I've met our hostess. She doesn't seem all that bad."
"It must be one of her good days."
Cooper and Jasper shared a bonding laughter.
Two men entered the dining hall, talking avidly. Cooper recognized one of the men. It was Magee from Magee's barbershop. He looked none the worse for wear despite having earlier been in a drunken stupor.
"Well, Jasper, good evening," said the man Cooper didn't recognize.
"Evening Doc. Magee. Gentlemen, this is Cooper. He's new to town."
Cooper stood and shook hands with the new arrivals.
"Cooper, if you're ever feeling poorly, Dr. Thompson is the man to see. He can cure a mule of its stubbornness. Sure, he'll make you feel better, but in the same sense, make you feel even more poorly… in the wallet!" The three townsfolk all broke out in laughter, Dr. Thompson the most red faced and teary-eyed. Cooper hesitated to join in. Having spent so long on the road had eroded his social skills to a certain extent.
Dr. Thompson cut off their laughter. "Magee here runs a barber shop. He and his friend, Bo Tingsley," the graying doctor said as he dabbed at his eyes with a napkin.
"Oh, I met Bo already," Cooper added.
"I thought so." Thompson nodded to acknowledge Cooper's fresh haircut. "Turns out half the town gets a Magee haircut, the other gets a professional one. Looks like you got the latter," the doctor said, barely choking back his laughter before finishing the last of his sentence.
Magee scrunched his face like he'd eaten something tart, but his expression softened to a wrinkled smile.
Cooper looked at each man, noting the similarities in their appearance. They had probably known each other so long that they'd begun to look alike. All gray or graying, all with the same laugh lines at the corners of their mouths. All sported Bo Tingsley haircuts.
"I like my haircut fine, but I'll have to try out Magee the next go-around," Cooper said.
A man, who looked like he hadn't sat in a barber's chair for quite a while, entered the room. He wore a stained apron and no smile whatsoever. "Thea isn't feeling well. I'll bring some beef dumplings in a couple minutes."
"Henry, do you want me to look in on her?" Dr. Thompson said, halfway up from his chair.
Henry Calder waved the doctor to sit back down. "No, Doc, I don't think it's anything you can help with. It's a malady of a womanly nature. She just needs her rest."
"If anything changes, you let me know."
"The dumplings will be right out."
When Cooper was sure he was out of earshot, he said, "He's an abrupt fellow."
"Sure is. He wears on you after awhile," Jasper said.
"Wears like a shoe with a rock in it," Magee said, keeping his voice from drifting past the table. "At least supper will be somewhat palatable." Even though Henry Calder would soon serve a more desirable meal, the mood in the dining room had changed. Moments before the room was full of laughter. Now it seemed a heavy cloud of disappointment hung about like a stray animal.
They were silent and Cooper couldn't think of a thing to say to make it otherwise. The bells above the general store's door jangled as the door flew wide. A child's light, sandaled feet slapped the floor as someone ran through the store.
"Doc! Doc Thompson!"
The curtain flew open, and in rushed a dirty-faced girl with loose blonde braids. Salty tears streaked her face. A thin trail of blood flowed from her left nostril.
"Georgie's gone! Daddy's gone, too!" the little girl said between panting breaths. Drenched with sweat, her fair complexion was turning rosier by the second.
Dr. Thompson stood and went to the girl. He moved faster than Cooper thought possible. His knees popped like damp firewood as he squatted to the girl's eye level.
"Slow down, Ellie. You're going to scare yourself into a fainting spell." The doctor took out his
"I've met our hostess. She doesn't seem all that bad."
"It must be one of her good days."
Cooper and Jasper shared a bonding laughter.
Two men entered the dining hall, talking avidly. Cooper recognized one of the men. It was Magee from Magee's barbershop. He looked none the worse for wear despite having earlier been in a drunken stupor.
"Well, Jasper, good evening," said the man Cooper didn't recognize.
"Evening Doc. Magee. Gentlemen, this is Cooper. He's new to town."
Cooper stood and shook hands with the new arrivals.
"Cooper, if you're ever feeling poorly, Dr. Thompson is the man to see. He can cure a mule of its stubbornness. Sure, he'll make you feel better, but in the same sense, make you feel even more poorly… in the wallet!" The three townsfolk all broke out in laughter, Dr. Thompson the most red faced and teary-eyed. Cooper hesitated to join in. Having spent so long on the road had eroded his social skills to a certain extent.
Dr. Thompson cut off their laughter. "Magee here runs a barber shop. He and his friend, Bo Tingsley," the graying doctor said as he dabbed at his eyes with a napkin.
"Oh, I met Bo already," Cooper added.
"I thought so." Thompson nodded to acknowledge Cooper's fresh haircut. "Turns out half the town gets a Magee haircut, the other gets a professional one. Looks like you got the latter," the doctor said, barely choking back his laughter before finishing the last of his sentence.
Magee scrunched his face like he'd eaten something tart, but his expression softened to a wrinkled smile.
Cooper looked at each man, noting the similarities in their appearance. They had probably known each other so long that they'd begun to look alike. All gray or graying, all with the same laugh lines at the corners of their mouths. All sported Bo Tingsley haircuts.
"I like my haircut fine, but I'll have to try out Magee the next go-around," Cooper said.
A man, who looked like he hadn't sat in a barber's chair for quite a while, entered the room. He wore a stained apron and no smile whatsoever. "Thea isn't feeling well. I'll bring some beef dumplings in a couple minutes."
"Henry, do you want me to look in on her?" Dr. Thompson said, halfway up from his chair.
Henry Calder waved the doctor to sit back down. "No, Doc, I don't think it's anything you can help with. It's a malady of a womanly nature. She just needs her rest."
"If anything changes, you let me know."
"The dumplings will be right out."
When Cooper was sure he was out of earshot, he said, "He's an abrupt fellow."
"Sure is. He wears on you after awhile," Jasper said.
"Wears like a shoe with a rock in it," Magee said, keeping his voice from drifting past the table. "At least supper will be somewhat palatable." Even though Henry Calder would soon serve a more desirable meal, the mood in the dining room had changed. Moments before the room was full of laughter. Now it seemed a heavy cloud of disappointment hung about like a stray animal.
They were silent and Cooper couldn't think of a thing to say to make it otherwise. The bells above the general store's door jangled as the door flew wide. A child's light, sandaled feet slapped the floor as someone ran through the store.
"Doc! Doc Thompson!"
The curtain flew open, and in rushed a dirty-faced girl with loose blonde braids. Salty tears streaked her face. A thin trail of blood flowed from her left nostril.
"Georgie's gone! Daddy's gone, too!" the little girl said between panting breaths. Drenched with sweat, her fair complexion was turning rosier by the second.
Dr. Thompson stood and went to the girl. He moved faster than Cooper thought possible. His knees popped like damp firewood as he squatted to the girl's eye level.
"Slow down, Ellie. You're going to scare yourself into a fainting spell." The doctor took out his
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