Part 13 (1/2)
”I s'pose I will have to take them after Gail's lecture,” Peace sighed dismally, ”but I'll never put 'em on--never!”
Delighted with her candor and rebel spirit, he said, after a brief pause, ”Well, now, I mean them for a Christmas present, Peace, and I'd like mighty well for you to wear them. If they are too small, come next summer, I will get them changed for you. Will you take them?”
”Y--e--s.”
”And be friends?”
Peace hesitated. ”Friends are square with each other, ain't they?”
”I reckon they are.”
”Then I don't see how we can be friends,” she said firmly.
”Why not?” His face was blank with surprise; and his wife, who had been a silent spectator of the scene, laughed outright.
”'Cause you owe us a dollar and a half for picking strawberries last summer, and if you don't pay it, you ain't square with us, are you?”
”Well, I swan!” he mumbled. Then he, too, laughed, and thrusting his hand into his pocket, drew out a handful of silver. ”Here are six silver quarters, a dollar and fifty cents. That settles our account, doesn't it?”
”Yes.”
”And I've treated you on the square?”
”Yes.”
”And you will come sit on my lap?”
”I don't s'pose it will do any hurt,” she answered grudgingly, for she had not yet adjusted herself to this new friends.h.i.+p with her one-time enemy, but she went to him slowly and permitted to lift her to his knee.
”There, now,” he said, settling her comfortably. ”That's more like it!
Now that I have settled my account with you, tell me what you are going to do about the money you owe me?”
”Dave!” interposed little Mrs. Hartman, but he laughingly waved her aside.
”What money that I owe you?” gasped poor Peace, the rosy color dying from her face.
”Didn't you dump twenty boxes of my strawberries into the chicken yard last summer?”
”Y--e--s.”
”Those berries sold for twenty cents a box. Twenty times twenty is four dollars. You spoiled four dollars' worth of berries, Peace Greenfield.
Are you being square with me?”
The child sat dumb with despair, and seeing the tragedy in the great, brown eyes, Mrs. Hartman again said, remonstratingly, ”Dave!”
”Hush, Myra Ann,” he commanded. ”This is between Peace and me. If we are to be friends, we must be square with each other, you know.”
There was a desperate struggle, and then Peace laid the s.h.i.+ning quarters back in his hand, saying bravely, ”Here's my first payment. I haven't the rest now, but if you will wait until I earn it, I'll pay it all back. I will have Hope figure up just how much I owe you, so's I will know for sure. Can you wait? Maybe you will let me pick strawberries next summer until I get it paid up. Will you? 'Cause what money I get this winter I'd like to give to Gail for a coat. She has to wear Faith's jacket now whenever she goes anywhere, and, of course, two people can't wear one coat at the same time.”
”No, they can't,” he answered soberly, with a suspicion of a tremble in his voice. ”Is that what you meant to do with this money?”