BAD TIMING

 

 

            Lisa Hutto was chatting amiably with Mr. Boyles when the Forresters walked into his store. She glanced, recognized them, screamed piercingly, and collapsed to the floor.

            "Now what in tarnation ails her?" Buck wondered.

            "We ain't that scary, are we?" Mill-wheel demanded.

            Lem regarded Boyles a bit suspiciously. "Do you know what ails her?"

            "Well, she's got a purty good reason to be scairt o' you-all."

            "Tell it."

            He shifted uncomfortably. "Fellers? You wouldn't hurt a leetle gal, would you?"

            The Forresters regarded him sternly.

            "All right," he surrendered uneasily. "She's Lisa Hutto."

            "Hutto!" six voices echoed.

            "She's kin to Oliver," Lem concluded in disgust.

            "She's his cousin," Boyles admitted.

            They stared down at the helpless, crumpled form.

            Jody Baxter came in behind them, and smiled at them. "Howdy."

            "Hey, boy," they responded.

            Jody looked down at the floor and gasped. "Uh oh!" He looked nervously up at the Forresters.

            Buck looked annoyed at him. "No, Jody, there ain't no 'uh oh'; we ain't done nothin' to her; she jest fainted."

            "She takened one look at us, and down she goed," Mill-wheel agreed.

            "Fainted??" Jody started to laugh, and then stifled himself with his own hand, upon sight of their stern expressions. "You want I should see kin I wake her?"

            They nodded and watched sullenly at his obvious close acquaintance with yet another Hutto.

            Jody knelt beside her. "Lisa?" He brushed a lock of blonde hair out of her face. "Lise?" he used one of her nicknames. He stroked her face. "Come on, Lissie, wake up."

            She moaned softly and murmured, "Oliver?"

            Jody glanced up uneasily at the Forresters' solemn faces. "Lisa! Hit's Jody!" He patted her cheek encouragingly.

            Lisa groaned more loudly, and she whimpered, "Oliver! Help me!"

            The Forresters glared.

            Jody regarded them nervously, and then insisted to her, "Oh! Wake up!"

            Lisa's eyes flew open; she screamed, sat bolt upright, and clutched at Jody, gasping, "Jody! Where's Oliver?! I got to tell him somethin'!"

            Jody held her awkwardly, and looked apologetically up at the Forresters, seeing in their eyes that they would like to have the answer to her question, too. He hastened, "Now, you know he's in Boston; and no, you don't got to tell him nothin'; ever'thin's fine; now shhh!" He soothed and rocked her.

            She calmed somewhat in his embrace. "Oh, Jody!" she said breathlessly. "I had the most awful nightmare!"

            He glanced sheepishly at the Forresters. "Well, no, I think mebbe hit was real."

            "What?" she cried, blanched, and pulled back slightly to look up at them. She screamed shrilly, and launched herself back into Jody's arms, knocking him off-balance.

            "Oh, Lisa!"

            "No!! Jody! Please don't let them hurt me! No! I'm scared! I'm scared!!"

            "Lisa, they ain't gonna hurt you! Now stop it!"

            "Don't let them beat me like they done him! Nooooo!! she cried loudly.

            Jody met the Forresters' eyes and shrugged, embarrassed.

            They shook their heads in rueful semi-amusement.

            Penny Baxter entered, saying, "Well, howdy, fellers. Jody, what...? Uh oh!"

            Buck rolled his eyes in exaggerated patience, and blandly repeated, "No, Penny; there ain't no 'uh oh'; we ain't hurted her; she jest fainted."

            "Oh my."

            Jody looked to his father. "Pa? He'p me with her? I cain't calm her down."

            Penny went to kneel by the distraught girl.

            She saw him and launched herself into his arms. "Mr. Baxter! Help me! Protect me, please!"

            "Oh lord." He held her and shrugged at the Forresters.

            Jody saw Tony Hutto walk by the door. He reached out, and said, "Git him! Tony! Tony, come 'ere!"

            The Forresters watched curiously as Tony entered.

            He looked at them; he looked at Lisa; and he promptly drew the wrong conclusion. "What'd they do to her?!" he demanded belligerently.

            The Forresters drew themselves up angrily.

            "They ain't done nothin' to her!" Jody replied hastily. "She jest fainted!"

            "Who are you?" Lem demanded.

            "Tony Hutto." He raised his chin defiantly. "Oliver's other cousin."

            The six Forresters put their hands on their hips and took a step closer. Lem looked the newcomer up and down and grinned sadistically. Tony's eyes blazed back boldly.

            "Tony!" Penny barked sharply at him. "Quit makin' like a hotheaded fool like your cousin, and git over here, and he'p us with her!"

            Reluctantly, Tony broke off his daring stare, and went to kneel by his helplessly sobbing cousin. Lisa turned her urgent embrace to him.

            "Now carry her outen here," Penny ordered.

            Obediently, Tony gathered Lisa up and carried her away, looking somewhat embarrassed at his necessary retreat.