secret face and glasses fitted snug to his pouched eyes. His buxom, good-humored wife Martha smiled from behind the desk where the Sky Notch post office did business. Their blond daughter Peggy, eighteen years old and looking an abundant twenty-four, raised a hand as she sat against a rear shelf, studying an old motion picture magazine.
"Folks, this is Mr. James Crispin, who's moving in here," said Doc. "Mr. Crispin, these are Mr. and Mrs. Longcohr and their daughter Peggy yonder. I told him he could probably buy what he wants right here, to start his housekeeping."
"If we ain't got it for you, maybe we can get it fetched in," said Longcohr, walking toward them.
"I'll start in with a few supplies for the next day or so, to eat," said Crispin. He searched out a package of bacon, a box of crackers, a can of coffee, a carton with a dozen eggs. "Doctor, can't I contribute this to tonight's supper?"
He held up a tall can of asparagus. "I can fix it with cream sauce," he said. "Or if you don't like it, we'll find something else."
"Asparagus always agrees with me." said Doc.
Crispin found a half-gallon jug of milk, a pound of butter, a loaf of rye bread. Longcohr slashed off a pound of cheese from a wheel and wrapped it for him. Crispin carefully chose a head of lettuce and bought salad oil and pasteboard shakers of salt and pepper. "I brought wine vinegar with me," he said.
"You're an epicure," said Doc with relish.
Longcohr put the purchases in two paper sacks. Crispin found a galvanized iron pail on a counter shelf.
"I'm bound to need this, with more things with it," he said. "I'll leave it and be back later, to buy what I've forgotten now. Maybe a broom and detergents and so on."
"Get them now and I'll help you," offered Doc.
"No, I want to come back a second time," smiled Crispin. "To get acquainted with the way from my place, and with these people."
"Where you located, Mr. Crispin?" asked Martha Longcohr.
"The Hyson cabin, across the creek."
"That's good built," said Longcohr. "Not many pole cabins get put up that good no more. I hope you're comfortable, Mr. Crispin."
"I hope so." Crispin gathered up the sacks. "I'll be back again. Ladies," and he bowed. "Mr. Longcohr."
He and Doc went out.
"So he's the one Duffy Parr was mentioning," said Longcohr.
"He's a nice sort of man," said Martha Longcohr.
"He's so good-looking, it stinks," spoke up Peggy.
"What kind of talk is that?" said her mother.
"He's so good-looking, it stinks," repeated Peggy, savoring it. "He's the most out-of-this-world man to come to Sky Notch in I don't know when."
"Don't go getting crazy about him, girl," warned Longcohr. "Good looks ain't everything. A man needs more than that."
"Like Duffy Parr," said Peggy. "I like him. Always have."
"Duffy?" Martha Longcohr almost squealed. "He's near about twice your age."
"Not that much, Mamma."
"And Duffy' sells that blockade whiskey he gets from the Kimbers," added Longcohr, acting as if he didn't know about it at first hand. "And drinks it."
"Men have been known to stop drinking when a woman wants it," said Peggy.
"Hush that talk, girl, and let's straighten up these counters."
Crispin paused at Doc's door. "What time shall I come over? Six o'clock? I'll cream the asparagus on my hot plate and fetch it along. Now I'll stow these things and go back for the rest."
In the cabin that was now his, he hoisted a portable electric refrigerator to a counter beside the sink. Into this he put the eggs, cheese, milk and bacon. Then he trudged back to the store.
The Longcohrs greeted him in chorus. He roamed here and there, finding a broom, a package of soap powder, other things. "Ever since I came into town, I've liked everything I've seen," he said.
Peggy tittered from where she spread handkerchiefs in a stack.
"Gander Eye Gentry was by," said Mrs. Longcohr. "I recollect he said you're a picture-painter."
"I've been trying to be one for years." Crispin took two pairs of white socks from the
"Folks, this is Mr. James Crispin, who's moving in here," said Doc. "Mr. Crispin, these are Mr. and Mrs. Longcohr and their daughter Peggy yonder. I told him he could probably buy what he wants right here, to start his housekeeping."
"If we ain't got it for you, maybe we can get it fetched in," said Longcohr, walking toward them.
"I'll start in with a few supplies for the next day or so, to eat," said Crispin. He searched out a package of bacon, a box of crackers, a can of coffee, a carton with a dozen eggs. "Doctor, can't I contribute this to tonight's supper?"
He held up a tall can of asparagus. "I can fix it with cream sauce," he said. "Or if you don't like it, we'll find something else."
"Asparagus always agrees with me." said Doc.
Crispin found a half-gallon jug of milk, a pound of butter, a loaf of rye bread. Longcohr slashed off a pound of cheese from a wheel and wrapped it for him. Crispin carefully chose a head of lettuce and bought salad oil and pasteboard shakers of salt and pepper. "I brought wine vinegar with me," he said.
"You're an epicure," said Doc with relish.
Longcohr put the purchases in two paper sacks. Crispin found a galvanized iron pail on a counter shelf.
"I'm bound to need this, with more things with it," he said. "I'll leave it and be back later, to buy what I've forgotten now. Maybe a broom and detergents and so on."
"Get them now and I'll help you," offered Doc.
"No, I want to come back a second time," smiled Crispin. "To get acquainted with the way from my place, and with these people."
"Where you located, Mr. Crispin?" asked Martha Longcohr.
"The Hyson cabin, across the creek."
"That's good built," said Longcohr. "Not many pole cabins get put up that good no more. I hope you're comfortable, Mr. Crispin."
"I hope so." Crispin gathered up the sacks. "I'll be back again. Ladies," and he bowed. "Mr. Longcohr."
He and Doc went out.
"So he's the one Duffy Parr was mentioning," said Longcohr.
"He's a nice sort of man," said Martha Longcohr.
"He's so good-looking, it stinks," spoke up Peggy.
"What kind of talk is that?" said her mother.
"He's so good-looking, it stinks," repeated Peggy, savoring it. "He's the most out-of-this-world man to come to Sky Notch in I don't know when."
"Don't go getting crazy about him, girl," warned Longcohr. "Good looks ain't everything. A man needs more than that."
"Like Duffy Parr," said Peggy. "I like him. Always have."
"Duffy?" Martha Longcohr almost squealed. "He's near about twice your age."
"Not that much, Mamma."
"And Duffy' sells that blockade whiskey he gets from the Kimbers," added Longcohr, acting as if he didn't know about it at first hand. "And drinks it."
"Men have been known to stop drinking when a woman wants it," said Peggy.
"Hush that talk, girl, and let's straighten up these counters."
Crispin paused at Doc's door. "What time shall I come over? Six o'clock? I'll cream the asparagus on my hot plate and fetch it along. Now I'll stow these things and go back for the rest."
In the cabin that was now his, he hoisted a portable electric refrigerator to a counter beside the sink. Into this he put the eggs, cheese, milk and bacon. Then he trudged back to the store.
The Longcohrs greeted him in chorus. He roamed here and there, finding a broom, a package of soap powder, other things. "Ever since I came into town, I've liked everything I've seen," he said.
Peggy tittered from where she spread handkerchiefs in a stack.
"Gander Eye Gentry was by," said Mrs. Longcohr. "I recollect he said you're a picture-painter."
"I've been trying to be one for years." Crispin took two pairs of white socks from the
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