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“Yessiree, nothin’ like takin’ up with the sheriff that’s done rescued you”

“Plannin’ on tyin’ the knot pretty soon, ain’t they? Sure didn’t wait very long before they set the date”

Not very proper, most people would say, with but a few months elapsed since her husband had breathed his last Decency would have deain, and she should have been wearing eeds the whole time, as well

But, there Things moved a little faster here in the west than in other places, and Molly and her stalwart sheriff deserved their piece of happiness One could hardly blame them if they decided to rush the cereht smart while to find the perfect lady to take to wife; once found, ait, if the lady illing?

Besides, it would be a benefit to the whole town once he got himself wedded and bedded

The sheriff had always been a courteousHe was controlled and quiet, never lost his te up between two coht of Miss Molly’s coht-hearted approach to life, offering a more friendly tip of the hat or idle conversation with his community members

When they walked down the street together, hand in hand, you could just about hear his tall, sturdy frahtly toward his intended, in deference

Sorta like, one sidewalk huested froangly horse of the sheriff’s would bend down to touch noses with a kitten

And they hty attractive couple, as well

Not to mention that the sheriff, his two deputies, and the rand piano froe in the Forrester barn to the s since his ascension to the law office, and now intended to buy There wasn’t really space for the huge instrument inside the parlor, but Paul didn’t care He’d move heaven and earth to so a dimpled smile from Molly’s sweet face

Dr Havers, called out of town to perforency appendectomy, had returned in time to provide the most needed assistance He stood back and yelled directions at the panting, sweating, straining laborers None of whorateful for his help

So the town had overwhelly approved of these two established pairs as a happy addition to their two thousand residents, all around

Then there was Miss Hannah Burton

No one dared discuss her particular situation around the pot-bellied stove in Forrester’s store, of course, or on the wooden porch just outside Such indiscretion would hardly be suitable, given that the lady was now related to Ben by e

Talk flew instead froh the Drinkwater Rouge, and filled space at the Turnabout Haberdashery Mostly coatory spoken about any of the Burton girls, ould inevitably get back to Ben, everyone knew, and he was as like to take offense with his fists as with his mood and official position

“A er near the stable, watching her walk past with shoulders back and stride swinging “If I’s just a few years younger”

“Few years!” hooted his co attested to so knife and the soft piece of wood he orking on “Try fifty, Ezra She ain’t hardly more’n a child”

“Got an awful neat shape to her, for bein’ that young Nice full curves just where you’d expect ’em Mmmm, hmmm Wheredja think she’s headed with that shovel?”

The whittler chewed his tobacco for a , then spat into the dust but considerately outside the main line of traffic “Doin’ some work for her sister The married one Heard she’s pickin’ up business froardens and such Me, I can’t understand no worub around in the dirt”

Nor could most of the males (and a few of the females) in town It didn’t stand to reason Why couldn’t Hannah Burton do so respectable, if she needed money, like teach school, or open a hat shop, or just find herself a husband? This was a modern world; all sorts of e lady She didn’t have to go around duded-up and round for Lord knehat kinda minerals

“Well, I’d be happy to take her on” Lester Mountebank, squint-eyed, balding, and rotund as a sleepy tortoise, al enjoyed a fine dinner, he stood on the front steps of the Sittin’ Eat, sucking at a toothpick and taking in his surroundings

Sam Wheeler, assistant vice president of the Turnabout National Bank, threw his coust “Why, you duirl has class Probably ain’t no one in town fit for her to onna look elsewhere That’s if she decides to look at’all”

A few of the ladies took a much more determined stance

“There she goes again” Martha Woodward, staring through the plate glassof her husband’s tailor shop, sniffed righteously “It ain’t natural, if you askin a sandbox”