Mabel and Van positively hounded Ivy with questions on the bus rides to and from school the next day. Did she get a good look at the puppy? Would the dogs be allowed to stay in the shed? Were they feeding Sparkle? Had Sparkle said anything to her? <\/p>\n
\n\tThe last question, from Mabel, drew a peculiar look from Ivy who was fielding questions as quickly as she could. Mabel and Van promised they would come see the puppy as soon as they were able, and made Ivy promise, in return, to tell them if the dogs were moved.<\/p>\n
\n\tToday, instead of going straight home after getting off the school bus, Mabel tagged along with Holly and Petey, who lived above their parents\u2019 store, Bumper\u2019s Stuff Shop. She was low on ink for Clemmy\u2019s printer, although when she\u2019d asked him why he hadn\u2019t warned her of the low ink supply, he\u2019d haughtily informed her that the printer was merely a peripheral, and not a concern of his.<\/p>\n
\n\tThey arrived at Bumper\u2019s, and Holly Bumper who, like her parents, took great pride in customer service, motioned toward the back of the store. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cComputer supplies are in aisle 15, in the back left-hand corner, Mabel,\u201d she said with a polished smile.<\/p>\n
\n\tBumper\u2019s was stuffed, floor to ceiling, with what appeared to be an unnavigable collection of merchandise. But ask any Bumper, or Bumper employee, and they could tell you without hesitation that umbrellas were in aisle 3, left side, eye level, or marbles at one dollar a scoop were in aisle 11, large barrel, halfway down on the right.<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel quickly located the ink cartridge she needed, and was heading toward the cashier at the front of the store, when an emphatic voice caught her attention. On a wall to her right, televisions, in all styles and sizes and tuned to the same station, flickered in sync.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cTHIS country NEEDS to know,\u201d<\/em> said the man on tv, who was holding a press conference, \u201cthat TIM TUTTER has a NEW vision for America!\u201d And AMERICA needs TIM TUTTER!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tMabel recognized the face on the screen. She\u2019d seen the celebrity real-estate tycoon in the news before, where he frequently appeared with a glamorous model on one arm, and his latest get-rich-quick book in the other.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHe\u2019s running for president,\u201d said a voice to Mabel\u2019s left. <\/p>\n \n\tMabel looked to see a willowy blonde, Kendall Huffing, scrutinizing the face on the television.<\/p>\n \n\tKendall screwed up her face, as if critiquing Tutter\u2019s performance, then made a proclamation. \u201cI\u2019d vote for him,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s pretty good-looking for an old guy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tYeah,<\/em> thought Mabel, if you like hair so full of mousse it looks inflated.<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tTutter continued his address to America. \u201cAnd soon,\u201d<\/em> he said, pointing at the camera, \u201cI will visit YOU, in YOUR towns and cities, to hear from YOU, what YOU see as America\u2019s greatest needs!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tWhat we need,<\/em> thought Mabel, is a president with common sense,<\/em> but again she declined to voice her opinion for fear of drawing Kendall\u2019s critical analysis her way.<\/p>\n \n\tIt hadn\u2019t worked. Mabel winced slightly as she felt the gaze boring into the side of her head.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMitchell\u2019s really ticked,\u201d Kendall said. \u201cIf I were you, I\u2019d find someone besides that dweeby Peale to hang with for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThank you. I\u2019ll take that into consideration,\u201d said Mabel, turning toward the cashier.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHey,\u201d said Kendall, now in a seemingly friendly tone. \u201cHow\u2019s your history essay coming?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cit\u2019s lucky that we have a while to work on it, because I haven\u2019t gotten anywhere yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cToo bad,\u201d continued Kendall. \u201cI think I\u2019m going to call mine \u2018Logjam\u2019s Dirty Little Secrets.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel wished she were not curious.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou know there was a fire over here in East Logjam in 1915?\u201d Kendall said. \u201cMost of the East Side burned, and three people died.\u201d Kendall paused to see if she still had Mabel\u2019s attention. Satisfied, she continued. \u201cThe three people were the town drunk, his wife, and some witch.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cA witch?\u201d asked Mabel, incredulously.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell,\u201d said Kendall, \u201cthe people around here thought she was, anyway, and the rumor is someone started a fire to drive those three out of town, but it got out of hand. But you know what\u2019s really interesting?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tKendall looked as though she had some real beans to spill, and Mabel shook her head slightly.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe town drunk\u2019s name was Crockett. Just wondered if you knew you had such impressive ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel felt stupid to have been led into such a conversation, and turned once more, when Kendall spoke again–this time in an awed voice.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh my gosh, look what just walked in that door!\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tKendall\u2019s jaw had dropped, and she stared with wide eyes, then hurriedly collected herself and fiddled with her hair. \u201cGood grief Mabel, do I look okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel did not care whether Kendall looked okay, and did not answer, but she found that she had to agree with Kendall\u2019s assessment, at least this time.<\/p>\n \n\tThe man who entered Bumper\u2019s looked to be in his late twenties. Just over six feet tall, with chestnut hair swept back off his handsome features, he wore snug fitting jeans and a tweed sports coat. He smiled at Mrs. Bumper and Holly, who looked as though they could hardly breathe, then picked up a pack of roll candy and waited at the cash register. Mabel, who recognized that this was the opportunity she needed to break away from Kendall, quickly got in line behind the man.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHi,\u201d said the man to Coco Alda, the teen-aged cashier, as he pulled out his wallet to pay for the candy. \u201cI\u2019m hoping someone can tell me how to get to Halfslips\u2019 Botanical Center from here.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCoco giggled and took his money, but seemed unable to speak.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel helped her. \u201cGo a block south, and turn left on Rocky Creek Road. It\u2019s just beyond the airfield on the right.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe man shot her the most winning smile she\u2019d received, and she felt a bit giddy herself.<\/p>\n \n\tKendall seemed to have recovered her composure enough to chime in. \u201cMy advice,\u201d she said in a softly demure voice which Mabel had not heard before, \u201cif you\u2019re looking for plants, that is, would be to go to Carlson\u2019s Nursery in West Logjam. The people at Halfslips\u2019 are…well…a little cuckoo, and they really don\u2019t sell plants. They just do research and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI thank you, young ladies, for your help,\u201d said the man. And with a nod, he exited the shop, climbed into a black car, and drove away.<\/p>\n \n\tMrs. Bumper, Holly, and Coco all released tremendous sighs.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t*******<\/p>\n \tMabel got home to a press office in full hum. Downstairs, Paulo was tinkering with a jammed fax machine, and several layout and design people were organizing pages on the worktables.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel trotted up the stairs to a cluttered office where her father was pecking at a keyboard, and her mother was sorting through advertisements that would need to be pieced in around the next issue\u2019s articles.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d said Mrs. Crockett. \u201cHatfield\u2019s Hedgehog Niblets needs to go in the rear classifieds, and Moondrop Cola wants the entire inside front cover. And hello Mabel! How was school?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMrs. Crockett smiled at Mabel, and pushed hair, escaping as always from its bun, out of her face.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay,\u201d Mabel replied. \u201cAnd I think Mrs. Nebbins\u2019 fern is looking better already.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSpeaking of school,\u201d interjected Mr. Crockett, \u201cor not school, as the case may be, you\u2019ve got a long weekend coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAre we going somewhere?\u201d asked Mabel hopefully.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYes,\u201d replied her dad. \u201cAs a matter of fact, this weekend is an excellent opportunity to fly out to Cochiti Spring for the healing retreats article.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI think you\u2019ll like it,\u201d said Mrs. Crockett, as she straightened her stack of advertising copy. \u201cI think I\u2019ll like it. It\u2019s a spa out west in the desert, built around a spring which is said to have remarkable curative properties.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI hope,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cthat there\u2019s a good place to swim.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBy the way, Mabel,\u201d said Mr. Crockett, just as Mabel had turned to go downstairs, \u201cParker Halfslip tells me Buster…is that what you\u2019re calling him?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel nodded.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBuster,\u201d her father continued, \u201csings a lot, and is particularly fond of cashews and plantains.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat\u2019s neat, Dad,\u201d said Mabel, feeling under her jacket for the inside pocket where the elf had been nestling yesterday. But instead of the shapeless jacket lining she expected to feel, there was something flat and smooth.<\/p>\n \n\t \u201cOh, Dad,\u201d she said, \u201cI almost forgot to give you this.\u201d She pulled the yellow envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Mr. Crockett, who seemed to be waiting for further explanation. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere\u2019s this man in town. His name is Verdon Arbogast, and he was poking around the empty lot down near the health food store. Van and I talked to him, and he gave me this picture for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMrs. Crockett rolled her chair over so she could look as Mr. Crockett pulled the photo out of the envelope.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI don\u2019t think I know these guys,\u201d said Mr. Crockett, eyeing the photograph.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI don\u2019t either,\u201d added Mrs. Crockett. \u201cAlthough…something about the fellow on the right rings a bell.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMr. Arbogast is the one on the left,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cbut he\u2019s older than that now. He said he knew you a long time ago, Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMr. Crockett studied the photograph again, with a puzzled expression. \u201cI really don\u2019t think I know this guy,\u201d he said, shaking his head, \u201cbut your mother\u2019s right about the other one. He looks like someone I\u2019ve seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s all feexed!\u201d came the voice of a very pleased Paulo, as he entered the room. \u201cYou can fax some more now!\u201d Paulo glanced over Mr. Crockett\u2019s shoulder. \u201cHey, who is that? That must be one of Mabelina\u2019s uncles. He looks a lot more alike to her than you guys.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat\u2019s what Van thinks too,\u201d said Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel looked at her mother. Mrs. Crockett had a very strange expression on her face and she looked at Mr. Crockett who shook his head.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cNone of Mabel\u2019s uncles look like her,\u201d said Mr. Crockett. \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll talk to this Arbogast fellow when I get a chance. I\u2019ll ask him why he wanted me to have this.\u201d Mr. Crockett tucked the photograph into his wallet and returned the wallet to his pocket.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere\u2019s another thing I found out today,\u201d said Mabel, changing the subject. \u201cDid you guys know that there were people who died in the 1915 fire whose last name was Crockett?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell,\u201d said Mr. Crockett, \u201cthis property that we built the Press on had been in the family for quite a few years before it passed to me, so it stands to reason that there were Crocketts in town back then. I think I\u2019ve probably heard that before.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cCome on Mabel,\u201d said Mrs. Crockett, putting her work to bed in a drawer with a firm slam. \u201cLet\u2019s go make spaghetti.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mabel and Van positively hounded Ivy with questions on the bus rides to and from school the next day. Did she get a good look at the puppy? Would the dogs be allowed to stay in the shed? Were they feeding Sparkle? Had Sparkle said anything to her? The last question, from Mabel, drew a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=265"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265\/revisions\/266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}