Part 16 (2/2)

”Mamma 'Rill,” Lottie coaxed, patting her step-mother's pink cheek, ”you'll let me sit up longer, 'cause Janice is here--won't you?”

Of course 'Rill could not refuse her. So the child sat there, blinking at the store lights like a little owl, until finally she sank down in the old cus.h.i.+oned armchair behind the stove and fell fast asleep.

Occasionally customers came in; but between whiles Janice and the storekeeper's wife could talk.

The racking ”clump, clump, clump,” of a big-footed farm horse sounded without and a woman's nasal voice called a sharp:

”Whoa! Whoa, there! Now, Emmy, you git aout and hitch him to that there post. Ain't no ring to it? Wal! I don't see what Hope Drugg's thinkin' of--havin' no rings to his. .h.i.tchin' posts. He ain't had none to that one long's I kin remember.”

”Here comes Mrs. Si Leggett,” said 'Rill to Janice. ”She's a particular woman and I am sorry Hopewell isn't here himself. Usually she comes in the afternoon. She is late with her Sat.u.r.day's shopping this time.”

”Take this basket of eggs--easy, now, Emmy!” shrilled the woman's voice. ”Handle 'em careful--handle 'em like they _was_ eggs!”

A heavy step, and a lighter step, on the porch, and then the store door opened. The woman was tall and raw-boned. She wore a sunbonnet of fine green and white stripes. Emmy was a lanky child of fourteen or so, with slack, flaxen hair and a perfectly colorless face.

”Haow-do, Miz' Drugg,” said the newcomer, putting a large basket of eggs carefully on the counter. ”What's Hopewell givin' for eggs to-day?”

”Just what everybody else is, Mrs. Leggett. Twenty-two cents. That's the market price.”

”Wal--seems ter me I was hearin' that Mr. Sprague daowntown was a-givin' twenty-three,” said the customer slowly.

”Perhaps he is, Mrs. Leggett. But Mr. Drugg cannot afford to give even a penny above the market price. Of course, either cash or trade--just as you please.”

”Wal, I want some things an' I wasn't kalkerlatin' to go 'way daowntown ter-night--it's so late,” said Mrs. Leggett.

'Rill smiled and waited.

”Twenty-two's the best you kin do?” queried the lanky woman querulously.

”That is the market price.”

”Wal! lemme see some cheap gingham. It don't matter abeout the pattern. It's only for Emmy here, and it don't matter what 'tis that covers her bones' long's it does cover 'em. Will this fade?”

”I don't think so,” Mrs. Drugg said, opening the bolt of goods so that the customer could get at it better.

Janice watched, much amused. The woman pulled at the piece one way, and then another, wetting it meantime and rubbing it with her fingers to ascertain if the colors were fast. She was apparently unable to satisfy herself regarding it.

Finally she produced a small pair of scissors and snipped off a tiny piece and handed it to Emmy. ”Here, Emmy,” she said, ”you spit aout that there gum an' chew on this here awhile ter see if it fades any.”

Janice dodged behind the post to hide the expression of amus.e.m.e.nt that she could not control. She wondered how 'Rill could remain so placid and unruffled.

Emmy took the piece of goods, clapped it into her mouth with the most serious expression imaginable, and went to work. Her mother said:

”Ye might's well count the eggs, Miz' Drugg. I make 'em eight dozen and ten. I waited late for the rest of the critters ter lay; but they done fooled me ter-day--for a fac'!”

Emmy having chewed on the gingham to her mother's complete satisfaction, Mrs. Leggett finished making her purchases and they departed. Then 'Rill and her guest could talk again. Naturally the conversation almost at the beginning turned upon Nelson Haley's trouble.

”It is terrible!” 'Rill said. ”Mr. Moore and those others never could have thought what they were doing when they accused Mr. Haley of stealing.”

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