Volume IX Part 8 (1/2)
”I wish we could--”
”Oh, well, if you want to; but I propose that we don't make them the offer until next year or the year after. We shall have our matters arranged better by that time.”
”And now about Isaac Wickersham?”
”Have you seen him lately?”
”Two or three days ago.”
”Did he seem discontented or unhappy?”
”No.”
”You promised to help him?”
”What I said was, 'We are going to do something for you, Isaac'”
”Something! That commits us to nothing in particular. Was it your idea, Mary Jane, to make him an allowance?”
”Yes.”
”There you cut into our insufficient income again. I don't see how we can afford it with all these expenses heaping up on us; really I don't.”
”But we must give him something; I promised it.”
George thought a moment and then said:
”This is the end of September and I sha'nt want this straw hat that I have been wearing all summer. Suppose you give him that. A good straw hat is 'something.'”
”You remember Mrs. Clausen, George?”
”Have we got to load up with her, too?”
”Let me explain. You recall that I told her I would try to make her comfortable, and when I found that our circ.u.mstances were going to be really straitened, I sent her my red flannel petticoat with my love, for I know she can be comfortable in that.”
”Of course she can.”
”So this afternoon when I came up from the city she got out of the train with me and I felt so half-ashamed of the gift that I pretended not to see her and hurried out to the carriage and drove quickly up the hill. She is afraid of horses, anyhow.”
”Always was,” said George.
”But, George, I don't feel quite right about it yet; the gift of a petticoat is rather stingy, isn't it?”
”No, I don't think so.”