Part 5 (1/2)

”This here toweling gone up any?” The threads of the a.s.sayed linen still lingered on her thin lips as she decided. ”If it's the same price it was, I'll take two yards.” Then, returning to the question of lesser importance, ”Well, I can't help you none with them worms until you tell me whether they're chewers or suckers.”

Miss Frenzy, putting on a second pair of gla.s.ses over those she habitually wore, now essayed the project of cutting off the two yards of toweling.

”Chewers or-er-ahem, suckers? I really cannot say. Shall you be astonished at my negligence when I tell you that I have not yet taken the measures to determine whether these worms are, as you so grotesquely term them, chewers or-er-ahem, suckers?”

Mrs. Tyarck laughed sarcastically. ”For Heaven's sake, Frenzy Giddings!

it's a wonder to me you know _anything_, the time you take with your words! You ain't acquainted with your own stock, I see, for here you've cut me off two yards of the twenty-cent when I asked for the ten-cent.

Well, it's your mistake, so I'll take it as if 't wuz what I'm payin'

for; but look here, Frenzy, you've no call to be wool-gatherin' _your_ time of life.”

The rough criticism had no effect upon the native elegance of the old shopkeeper. She smiled at Mrs. Tyarck's outburst with an air of polite, if detached, sympathy. Dropping her scissors, she turned to the window, poking her head between hanging flannel nightgowns to remark:

”Pleasant weather and many taking advantage of it; were I not occupied I, too, should promenade.”

Mrs. Tyarck meanwhile creaked about the little store on a tour of inspection. Some especially frivolous sets of ”Hair Goods” underwent her instant repudiation. ”I wear my own, thank G.o.d!” she exclaimed, adding, ”it's good enough for Tyarck and me.” Picking up a cl.u.s.ter of children's handkerchiefs, she carried them to the window for more complete condemnation, muttering: ”Ark-animals and b.u.t.terflies! Now what's all _that_ foolishness got to do with the nose?” As Mrs. Tyarck stood apostrophizing the handkerchiefs there was a whir outside the store, the toot of a claxon, a girl's excited laugh, the flash of a scarlet jersey and tam-o'-shanter. The two women, lowering their heads after the furtive fas.h.i.+on that obtains in country districts, took the thing in.

They stared after the automobile.

”Pleasure-riding, I see,” remarked the near-sighted Miss Frenzy. ”Young folks appreciate the automobiles; the extreme velocity seems peculiarly to gratify their fancy!”

Mrs. Tyarck pursed up her lips; she looked with narrow speculation after the pair, her thin face hardening.

”Them two is going out to the Forked Road Supper House,” she prophesied.

”No daughter of mine wouldn't be allowed to set foot in that place.

Well, you're lookin' at two of a kind. That red sweater of hern won't help her none.”

Miss Frenzy, now sorting change in slow pensiveness, demurred. ”She is young,” she remarked. ”She entered the store recently for some scarlet wool for that very jersey” (Miss Frenzy was at pains to avoid the word ”sweater”), ”and I observed her young cheeks-quite like peaches, yes,”

insisted Miss Frenzy, sentimentally, ”quite like peaches-I could wish that she should be careful of her complexion and not ride too extensively in the cold air.”

”There's more to be thought of than complexions, these days,” said the other woman, coldly. There was relentless judgment in her face, but she went on: ”Well, 'tain't meetin'-time yet. Say I step back and take a look at them worms 'n' see ef there's anything I can recommend.”

The thin figure of the shopkeeper preceding her, and Mrs. Tyarck casting looks of disparagement on all she pa.s.sed, the two took their way into the little garden. Here, enclosed by high palings, shut away from everything but sun and air, was Miss Frenzy's kingdom, and here there came a sudden change in her manner. She did not lose the careful elegance of the polite shopkeeper, but into gesture and voice crept an authority, the subtle sense of owners.h.i.+p and power invariably felt by those who own a bit of land, who can make things grow.

”Step judiciously,” she admonished her visitor; ”my cuc.u.mber-frames are somewhat eliminated by the tall verdure: here and there I have set out new plants. I should deplore having my arrangements disturbed.”

Mrs. Tyarck sniffed. ”You and your garden!” she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed; but she resolutely made her way, eyes squinting with curiosity. Settling her hat, whose black wing stuck out with a virtuous swagger, Mrs. Tyarck gave herself all the married woman's amus.e.m.e.nt over the puttering concerns of a spinster.

Soon, however, as the two women stole farther into the dense square of growing things, the envy of the natural flower-lover crept into her sharp comments. ”My!” she said, jealously-”my! ain't your white duchy doin' good? Say, look at them gooseberries! I suspect you don't have no particular use for 'em?” It was said of Mrs. Tyarck that she was skilful at paving the way for gifts of any kind. She made this last suggestion with a hard, conscious laugh.

All around the little garden was a fence like the high fences in London suburbs. Close against it honeysuckle poured saffron cascades, a mulberry-tree showed the beginning of conical fruitage. Blackberry vines sprayed white stars over a sunny bit of stone wall. Amid a patch of feathery gra.s.ses swayed the prim carillons of canterbury-bells; soft gaieties of sweet-williams and phlox were ma.s.sed against the silvery weather-boarding of Miss Frenzy's kitchen. As the two women, skirts held high, paused in front of the white-rose bush the indefatigability of the chewers and suckers was revealed. Already thousands of young rose leaves were eaten to the green framework. Miss Frenzy, with a sudden exclamation, bent to a branch on which were cl.u.s.ters of dainty buds.

”Ah-ah! _Millions!_” she whispered. Then, tremulously defying the worms: ”_No, no, no! How dare you? Hi, hi, hi!_ there's another! Ugh! Look here! Mercy! See that spray!”

With every e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, shudderingly emitted, the bony hand went out like lightning, plucked something gingerly from a leaf, gave it a swift, vindictive pinch, and abhorrently tossed it away.

”That's right,” nodded Mrs. Tyarck. ”Squeeze 'em and heave 'em-it's about all you can do. They'll try to take advantage of you every time!

There's no grat.i.tude in worms! They ain't pertikler. It don't mean nothing to them that roses is pretty or grows good. They want to eat.

Squeeze 'em and heave 'em! It's all you can do!”