CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
The sign in Mueller’s Drug Store window read, ‘Jelly-Beans $.75 Cents ½ pound’ which caught Mary and Ruth’s attention as they were out for a quiet stroll.
Hazel spotted the two ladies and opened the door, “That’s right, a half-pound for only six-bits, get’em before they’re all gone.”
“Can’t beat that deal, let’s go.” Mary said leading the way.
“Hazel, we each want a half-pound of those sweet beans.” Ruth put forth as they all headed over to the soda counter, where a large glass container sat on top filled to the brim with jelly-beans.
As Herbert was behind the counter, he produced two brown-paper sacks and used a cup to scoop out the sweets. Filling each sack with way more than a half pound, he grinned as the ladies giggled like little school girls.
“Oh Herbert, I’m not sure I can even carry this,” Mary said pulling her sack closer.
“If it’s too much for ya, I’ll be glad to tak’em off your hands,” Ruth laughed.
Mary pulled her sack even closer, “Oh no you don’t, you just keep your paws off mine.” She now chuckled.
Hazel was ready for a bit of gossip, “You girls met the new coroner yet?”
“No, I haven’t.” Ruth spoke up.
“Me neither.” Mary said.
“His name is Troy Van Horn, and he’s not bad to look at, but I heard he only took this job to get away from his ex-wife.” Hazel rattled off.
“Well I’ll be.” Mary said
“Yeah, my friend Betty over in Millersburg said she knew the file clerk at the courthouse, and he told her, the divorce papers said Troy Van Horn was known to pull a heavy cork and then whip his wife with a razor-strap,” Hazel was laying it on thick; of course, most was just pure embellishment on her part.
Herbert couldn’t believe his ears, “Oh good grief, that’s not what Betty said. She said…”
Hazel cut him off, “This don’t concern you. Go find something to do, or I’ll find something for you, you hear me?”
She pointed toward the main counter, as Herbert turned and slowly walked away, head down and mumbling to himself.
“Go on,” Ruth said.
“Her lawyer took him to the cleaners; she got the house, custody of their two children and even his new Buick. That’s why he arrived here on a bus. If it weren’t for this job, he’d be living on the streets with old Ed Stein; then we’d have two town drunks.”
“Well, all I got to say is, any man who’d do that to his wife, no matter what problems they had in their marriage, deserves to be tarred-and-feathered and run outta town on a rail, that’s my thinking.” Mary put her two-cents out there for all to hear.
“Your darn tootin, that bastard,” Ruth popped off.
Hazel was in hog heaven, “My friend Betty also said, it was known all over town that Troy couldn’t ‘fly the high eagle’ if you know what I mean, because of all the drinkin’ he was doing.”
“What?” Mary said not sure what she was hinting at.
Ruth rolled her eyes as she patted her leg, “He couldn’t get his pecker hard sweetie.”
“Oh.” Mary blushed.
“I just don’t know what gets into these men nowadays, thinking they can do whatever they want. It’s just down right sinful.” Hazel said as they all nodded their heads in agreement.