Just then, Zaida asked Lori a question, and Bunty and Natalya ran off to find the PJ shelf. As they turned down the aisle to get to the back of the store, they saw the boys by the shoe rack. Something about the whole scene made Bunty uneasy. There they were, looking at all the shoes, Eliot grinning away. "Natalya, what's Eliot saying? That smile on his face makes me nervous." They made their way closer, Brighton joining them to show off what she'd found. Bunty motioned to Brighton to be quiet, and the three girls casually glanced at the clothes on the rack as Bunty explained. "Sssh. We're trying to hear what the boys are saying. Oh, Girls. I don't like the looks of that. Eliot and Harold are very animated over something Eliot's found. Hope it's not a LaCrosse racket. I just donated his old one yesterday. Can either of you see what he's holding in his hands? Well, okay. It can't be too bad, because Harold looks really happy about it. Let's get a little closer, without looking like we're paying attention to them, and see what's got them so excited. Ssssh . . ."
Bunty screeched to a halt and stared at Eliot, who was holding up a rather all-too-familiar-looking pair of boots. "Oh, Girls! Those are Eliot's old boots that I donated when he was . . . well, sorta . . . not looking. You don't think he's going to buy them back, do you? Oh, please tell me he's not getting ready to buy them back. I can't look. Please tell me he isn't."
Brighton and Natalya didn't have the heart to say anything to Bunty, but Eliot couldn't stop talking to Harold about what he'd found. "Look at these, Harold! Wow! It's my old pair of boots! I've been wondering what happened to them. Bunty must have donated them without asking me. I wondered why they disappeared and these new ones appeared in their place." Both boys stared down at Eliot's feet with a look of betrayal on their faces. "These old ones are much more comfortable, so I'll just buy them back. It's for a good cause, you know. And I bet she'll never notice." Harold just nodded his head, glad that he didn't have a sister old enough to get rid of his favorite things. "You know, it's amazing that you found them before someone else did. I wonder why no one picked them up this morning. Maybe the early shoppers just didn't have an eye for the bargains." As the boys turned away to make their purchases before the trio saw them, Harold voiced what Eliot was afraid to say out loud. "Do you think Bunty will let you keep them? I know what! I'll take a BIG box of doughnuts over later, filled with her favorites. We 'Merry Men' have to stick together, you know."
We just stood there speechless. I think that Brighton and Natalya thought she was kidding, but something in my face must have refrained them from laughing. I couldn't come up with a polite answer. But I don't think Lori was expecting one.
"Harold. Harold. Look at that. It's just what I need. Harold. Can you believe it? I've been needing a TV set for a while but just couldn't find one I liked. Can you believe it? It's such a good modern set. It's just the thing for the old Schoolroom. I can't believe it. Imagine finding something like this at Lori's Thrift. And during Wool Week, too. Can you believe it?" Lori knew a sucker . . . I mean a customer, when she saw one. She saw one.
"Sold! And the Merry Men club offers help with delivery, if you need it."
The boys just looked at her blankly. "Um. We are the Merry Men."
"Oh, yeah. Right. Well then, you won't have a problem getting it home, will you? Great. Right. That's one big item SOLD!
Eliot blinked and looked at Harold with a dazed "deer-in-the-headlights" stare. "When did I say I was going to buy it? I don't remember saying that. Did you hear me say I wanted to buy it?" Harold shrugged his shoulders and said "You really need to get out more. I mean, if you'd helped us carry all this stuff over yesterday, you'd've seen it then. And you'd've saved us one trip with a heavy load. Boy, did Lori see you coming. And Bunty just paid for it. Without a word. Guess she's over the boots."