Hughberta Smells A Rat


"What in the hell is keeping Cletus?"

She slammed the ledger shut and stalked across the faux marble floor, down the center aisle past the Beauty Care display: jars of Tussy Emulsified Cream pyramided behind concentric circles of Max Factor Pancake, Tussy and Coty lipsticks and Revlon Nail polish. Beauty products were becoming scarce and her artistic talents were put to the test in arranging the meager supplies on the half bare counters. It was 5:00 o’clock, quitting time at the Prairie Ben Franklin, and Hughberta was locking up.

It wasn’t exactly her job- opening and closing- Hughie kept the books, managed inventory, waited on customers when there was a rush- or what could be considered a rush in this one floor Five and Dime in this one-horse burg. But with Cletus gone on business – twice this week, three days last week- running the whole damn place was her job lately.

Her major annoyance with closing up the store was turning out the lights. Six hanging fixtures with their green enamel shades were operated by means of a beaded brass chain. 4'11' in heels, the procedure for her involved dragging a step stool down the main aisle, climbing up, pulling the little chain, moving to the next light and the next until finally she had to descend in the dark and grope her way to the back office.

She knew that she didn’t need to fix dinner for him tonight- he wouldn’t get back from Madison ‘til late. She’d fix a plate for him, though- a cold plate- chicken and potato salad with a nice tall glass of fresh milk. Of course, he’d knock off a half glass of Seagrams with it. No doubt he would already have had a high-ball or two in Madison.

Hughberta was not in her most cheerful mood as she trudged down Black Hawk Street toward Cletus’ apartment. Even in her calf-length gray squirrel coat, a bitter March wind blowing off the river chilled her to the bone.

"What in the hell is his big business deal in Madison? What is going on in Dubuque? What’s the big secret? There’s something fishy going on here."


To be continued