Part 40 (1/2)
”What men--and what lot?” he asked smiling.
”I don't know what lot it is; but I mean Mr. Trimmins and those others.”
”Oh! Trimmins and Jim Narnay and that Besmith boy?”
”Yes.”
”Why, they are moving on slowly. This is their third job with me since Winter. Once or twice they've kicked over the traces and gone on a spree----”
”That was when you paid them?”
”That was when I _had_ to pay them,” said the elder. ”They work pretty well when they haven't any money.”
”Have you paid them lately, Sir?” asked Janice. ”I am asking for a very good reason--not out of curiosity.”
”I have not. It's a month and more since they saw the color of my money. Hold on! that's not quite true,” he added suddenly. ”I gave Jim Narnay a dollar Sat.u.r.day afternoon.”
”Oh!”
”He came by here on his way to town. Said he was going down to see his sick baby. She _is_ sick, isn't she?”
”Oh, yes,” murmured Janice. ”Poor little thing!”
”Well, he begged for some money, and I let him have a dollar. He said he didn't want to go down home without a cent in his pocket. So I gave it to him.”
”Only a dollar?” repeated the girl thoughtfully.
The old man's face flushed a little, and he said tartly: ”I reckon _that_ did him no good. By the looks of his face when he went through here Sunday night he'd proberbly spent it all in liquor, I sh'd say.”
”Oh, no! I didn't mean to criticize your generosity,” Janice said quickly. ”I believe you gave him more than was good for him. I know that Mrs. Narnay and the children had little benefit of it.”
”That's what I supposed,” grunted the elder.
Janice sipped her tea and, looking over the edge of her cup at him, asked:
”Having much trouble, Elder, with your new man?”
”What new man?” snorted the old gentleman, his mouth screwed up very tightly.
”I hear you have the school teacher working for you,” she said.
”Well! So I have,” he admitted, his face suddenly broadening. ”Trust you women folks for finding things out in a hurry. But he ain't teaching school up here--believe me!”
”No?”
”He's helping clean up my hog lot. I dunno but maybe he thinks it isn't any worse than managing Polktown boys,” and the elder chuckled.
But Janice was serious and she bent forward and laid a hand upon the old man's arm. ”Oh, Elder Concannon! don't be too hard on him, will you?” she begged.
He grinned at her. ”I won't break him all up in business. We want to use him down town in these meetings we're going to hold for temperance.