Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Mitford on Guns

From the third book of the series, These High Green Hills, here's the context.

Mitford is the idyllic "Currier and Ives" type town. The regulars at the the local cafe, Episcopalian rector Father Tim and buddy Mule, have been coaching the newspaper man and avowed bachelor, J.C., regarding his new sweetheart, a lady officer for the local police department. J.C. is bemoaning the fact that he doesn't really know where things stand with his lady friend.
The rector swigged his coffee. "Sounds pretty typical to me."
J.C. leaned forward. "It does?""
"Sure. One day you know, one day you don't. Pretty soon, if it's right, you really know."
"Oh."
"But how do you know if you really know?" asked Mule.
The rector looked slightly dazed. "I don't know," he said, meaning it.
Mule sighed. "We're kind of rusty at this."
"How come she wants me to get off coffee and axe the fats and lower my cholesterol if she wouldn't go out with me last night? I mean, what's the deal?"
"Maybe she had to work," said Mule, wanting to help.
"No way. She was home cleaning her gun."
"How do you know?"
"Because I called her up and that's what she said she was doing."
"Where had you offered to take her?" asked the rector.
"To Brendle's, they were having a sale on Tri-X film."
"No wonder she stayed home to clean a gun," said Mule.
"Have you sent her flowers?" asked Father Tim. "That's a good thing to do."
"Flowers? To a woman who carries a nine-millimeter?"
"Whoa, Buddy," said Mule. "You're sounding mighty macho there...."

No comments: