DO NOT READ UNDER
PENALTY OF LAW
Margaret Davies Guinness was on the war path and everybody in
town could tell. She had high color in her cheeks and she was nearly running
down the street toward the town hall. Normally quite sociable, she didn’t greet
anyone who said hello to her as she passed.
“What’s got a bee in her bonnet this time?” Maisie Turkell
asked Agnes Beamish in a loud whisper.
“Darned if I know, Maisie! She’s always going on about
something or other, isn’t she? But I must say the council meetings have gotten a
lot more interesting since the town hired her,” replied her
friend.
The pair nodded emphatically, then continued walking their
little dogs at a leisurely pace that wasn’t good for either the overweight dogs
or their equally plump owners. This fact was something Ms. Guinness had tried to
point out to the pair only to be met with instant outrage on their parts. From
then on, Ms. Margaret became grist for the local gossip mill.
When Sam Driscoll, who was the security guard at the desk
inside the entrance to the town hall, saw who was charging through the door, he
stood up ready to do battle. For it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to convince
Ms. Margaret not to disturb the mayor outside of council meetings. He opened his
mouth to speak, but she blew by him like a mega tornado.
He considered chasing her to stop her but decided it wasn’t
worth it. Besides, he liked to see His Honor taken down a peg or two now and
then. It broke up the monotony for him and made him grin for the rest of the
day.
When his office door crashed open, Mayor Sidney Ellis woke up
with a start. When he saw who it was, he cursed under his breath and vowed to
fire Sam Driscoll. Pasting on a smarmy smile, he stood up with the appearance of
politeness.
“Why Ms. Margaret! To what do I owe this immense pleasure?”
he asked jovially.
“Cut the manure, Sidney. I want to know why there is a sign
on the street right outside my library that says ‘Do not read under penalty of
law’. It’s difficult enough getting kids today to read, without them thinking
that if they do they’ll go to jail!” Ms. Margaret huffed.
For a brief second, the Mayor looked clueless, although many
citizens would have said he didn’t just look it. Suddenly, light seemed to
dawn.
“You mean that new sign I ordered to cut down on the speeding
on that street?”
“Didn’t you read it before you okayed the installation?” Ms.
Margaret laughed.
The red-faced mayor got on the phone and ordered it taken
down while his visitor continued to laugh. When she finally stopped, Ms.
Margaret commented that maybe an adult literacy class might be in order at the
library.
“Perhaps you’d care to lead the charge, Mr. Mayor?” she said
with twinkle in her eye.
A native North Bayite, I trained as a Library Technician and spent quite a few
years in libraries of all sorts. A few years out of college, I fell in love
with and married a military fighter, so I've been a few places and seen a few
sights that will probably make their way into my memoirs at some point.
As one of a family of nine, I am a storyteller from way back. I loved
telling my nieces stories based on prompts they came up with when they were
young. Some of those really early works are still
in my author stash and may have to be dusted off, revised and put out in the
wide world to fly.
These days, I am finally writing daily and
finishing up some of those pesky UFOs. To my surprise, I have written a novella
which has yet to be published. I firmly believe that: I write not because I
choose to, but because I have to.
Mary Lou Pearce
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