Part 17 (2/2)

”How lovely!” cried Mrs. Smith, an exclamation which might have meant either the box of candy or the sentiment that inspired the sender, and then added, ”How odd! It smells like soap!”

”That's a sign it's good candy,” said Miss Sally. ”The candy Rudge sells always smells of soap, an' he handles only the best, so when you see candy that smells that way you know it's good. This is Rudge's candy, sure enough, for I know this box by heart. Rudge has had it in his show case ever since the firm was Crimmins & Rudge. It must be some stale by this time, but the box is pretty.”

”I don't suppose Mr. Hewlitt knew it was stale,” said Mrs. Smith, ”He evidently tried to get the best he could.”

”Yes,” admitted Miss Sally. ”He wouldn't know this box of candy so well as we town folks do, him bein' a newcomer here. I suppose Rudge gave him a discount off the price on account of the box bein' soiled a little.

I hope to goodness that man wasn't so foolish as to go an' pay straight sixty cents a pound for it. He got cheated if he did, an' I'll tell him so when I see him next.” She slowly untied the red ribbon that bound the box, and rolled it neatly around the fingers of her left hand, to lay away for future use. ”Now, what do you suppose that man sent it to me for?” she asked.

Mrs. Smith smiled, for she knew Miss Sally was asking the question merely that she might have her own belief made sure by the words of another.

”Because he's in love, of course,” said Mrs. Smith. ”Because he is desperately in love. It is a romance, my dear.”

Miss Sally looked doubtfully toward Susan, who was curled up on the old sofa in the corner of the room. She was not sure that such matters should be discussed before one so young, but Susan would have refused to leave the room, even if asked, and she resented the questioning glance that Miss Sally had thrown at Mrs. Smith.

”'Courts.h.i.+p--How to Make Love--How to Win the Affections--How To Hold Them When Won,'” she said gaily. ”'First, get acquainted; second, make small presents, such as flowers, books or candy; third, ask for the lady's hand.' You needn't look at me that way, Miss Sally; I know all about it. I read it in Jarby's Encyclopedia.”

”Lands sakes!” exclaimed Miss Sally. ”And me and him only got well acquainted last night at the festival. I never heard of such a thing!”

”It's love at first sight,” teased Mrs. Smith. ”He will probably be around this afternoon to propose, and we can have the wedding this evening.”

”Well, he needn't come this afternoon, if he's got it in his mind to come,” said Miss Sally shortly, ”for I won't be at home. I ain't goin'

to be rushed that way, not by no man. I don't say but Mr. Hewlitt is a clever spoken man, Mrs. Smith, when he ain't talkin' books, but I ain't in the habit of bein' courted like I was a Seidlitz powder, and had to be drunk down before I stopped fizzin'. That may be some folks way of doin' it, but it ain't mine.”

”Nor Colonel Guthrie's,” suggested Mrs. Smith.

”If the Colonel's slow it ain't his fault,” said Miss Sally. ”He'd be quick enough if I'd let him, but I can't see no hurry, one way or another. I don't say but that a husband is a good thing to have, mind you! I guess I'm like all other women and want to have one some time, but so long as I've got pa I'm in no hurry. He's as much trouble as a husband would be, and as grumpy when things don't go to suit him.

Sometimes I feel like in the end I'd choose to marry the Colonel, since it wouldn't be so much of a change, the Colonel bein' like pa in some ways, such as bein' economical; and then again I feel like I'd prefer Skinner, just because he'd BE a change. I'd be always sure of gettin'

good meat, for one thing, and I'd insist upon it. I can't a-bear tough meat.

”Shoemakers' children go without shoes,” suggested Mrs. Smith.

”They wouldn't if I was their mother, an' I'll tell Skinner so, if I choose to marry him an' he tries to send home any but the best meat he's got in the shop,” said Miss Sally firmly. ”That's one man, if I marry him, I won't take no foolishness from. When a man is castin' his eyes my way, an' then has to have a city ordinance made to compel him to do me the favor of buyin' four fire-extinguishers off of me, that ain't no earthly use to me, I'll let him know I'm going to have my way about some things when we're married. I know well enough I ain't such a beauty that Skinner an' the Colonel is what you might call infatuated with me, and I don't expect 'em to be. Pa's got money, and if he didn't have I guess the Colonel an' Skinner wouldn't bother their heads about me much; but if they like me for pa's money now I guess they'll like me for it just as well after they marry me, for I'll have it well known that money don't go out of my name. And I'll let this book agent man know it too.

If it's pa's money he's in such a hurry to get, he'll find out his mistake.”

”I rather like the book agent,” said Mrs. Smith. ”He doesn't seem to me at all the adventurer type.”

”His whiskers do make him look like a preacher,” said Miss Sally, ”if that's what you mean; but if he means business he ought to know I ain't the kind of bird to be caught with boxes of candy. Neither Skinner nor the Colonel is so silly as to think that.”

She smoothed her ap.r.o.n across her knees, and looked at its checked pattern.

”Seems to me,” she said, with a touch of regret, ”this ain't no time or age for such foolishness. It ain't as if I was a girl like Susan there.

Boxes of candy an' Susan would match up like pale blue an' white. I guess the safe thing is to make choice of one that ain't a stranger.

I've done business with Skinner years an' years, sellin' him calves an'

buyin' meat off of him; an' as for the Colonel, I guess I know all his bad points as well as his good ones. The Colonel has been a friend of pa's a long time.”

So it happened that when Eliph' Hewlitt called at Miss Sally's that afternoon he did not find her at home. Mrs. Smith received him and tried to make up by her kindness for the disappointment Eliph' evidently felt. She thanked him in Miss Sally's name for the beautiful box of candy--although Miss Sally had left no such word--and drew him on to talk of Jarby & Goss, the publishers of the Encyclopedia, and of his own adventures. The longer she talked with the little man the better her opinion of him became, and she saw that he was gentle, shrewd, capable and sincere--sincere evening his wildest enthusiasm for Jarby's Encyclopedia of Knowledge and Compendium of Literature, Science and Art.

When he arose to go he stood a moment hesitatingly with his hat in his hand. He coughed apologetically.

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