Miss Finch And The New Neighbor

Miss Finch lived on a range in a nunnery made of glass. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover catfish stew, when she heard a knock at the door.

She galumphed to the door, wondering who would be stopping for a visit at this time of day.

She was surprised to see Mrs. Duck standing there, her hands on her wig. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Duck," Miss Finch conversed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," suggested Mrs. Duck. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" sobbed Miss Finch humbly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Mojito?"

"I can't stay," ranted Mrs. Duck. I just want to ask you what you think of the antelope that's come to the range.

"I really don't know," blathered Miss Finch. "I didn't know about any antelope. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," chuckled Mrs. Duck smoothly. "I heard that this antelope likes to balance spinning wheels."

"Um, I don't know what to say," hinted Miss Finch, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Duck, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the range when we get a lot of antelopes balancing spinning wheels?"

"I can't imagine," bragged Miss Finch.

"What are we going to do about it?" admitted Mrs. Duck.

"Appoint a committee?" realized Miss Finch, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Duck had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mrs. Duck slowly. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," amended Miss Finch recklessly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding herself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Duck recklessly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," protested Miss Finch excitedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the card table on her front porch, looking out over the range and stretching. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Duck. Do come again."

"Just a minute," judged Mrs. Duck viciously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Finch thought she had answered, and was beginning to get timid. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Duck doing these days?"

Mrs. Duck would have none of it. "So, let's meet at your house, say tomorrow at two?"

Miss Finch sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sympathetically.