Part 5 (2/2)
”Well, o' course, that 's somethin',” said Mrs. Martin, weakly.
”Somethin'? Why, it 's everything.”
The visitor had now gotten the information for which she was looking, and was anxious to be gone. She was absolutely bursting with her news.
”Well, I must be goin',” she said, replacing her shawl and standing in embarra.s.sed indecision. ”I only run in fur a minute. I hope you 'ain't got no hard feelin's at my inquisitiveness.”
”Not a bit of it. You wanted to know, an' you come and asked, that 's all.”
”I hope you 'll git along all right with the child.”
”I sha' n't stop at hopin'. I shall take the matter to the Lord in prayer.”
”Yes, He knows best. Good-bye, Miss Hester.”
”Good-bye, Sallie; come in ag'in.” The invitation sounded a little bit sarcastic, and once more the grim smile played about Miss Prime's mouth.
”I 'low,” she observed to herself, as she took the cake from the oven for the last time, tried it, and set it on the table,--”I 'low that I did give Sallie Martin one turn. I never did see sich a woman fur pryin'
into other folks' business.”
Swift are the wings of gossip, and swift were the feet of Mrs. Sallie Martin as she hurried back to tell the news to her impatient friend, who listened speechless with enjoyment and astonishment.
”Who would 'a' thought you could 'a' talked it out o' her so?” she gasped.
”Oh, I led her right along tell she told me everything,” said Mrs.
Martin, with a complacency which, remembering her reception, she was far from feeling.
Shortly after her departure, and while, no doubt, reinforced by Mrs.
Smith, she was still watching at the window, 'Liphalet Hodges drove leisurely up to the door again.
”Well, Freddie,” he said, as he helped the child to alight, ”we 've had a great time together, we have, an' we ain't frozen, neither: I told Miss Prime that she need n't be afeared. Don't drop yore jumpin'-jack, now, an' be keerful an' don't git yore hands on yore ap.r.o.n, 'cause they 're kind o' sticky. Miss Hester 'u'd take our heads off ef we come back dirty.”
The child's arms were full of toys,--a jumping-jack, a climbing monkey, a popgun, and the etceteras of childish amus.e.m.e.nt,--and his pockets and cheeks bulged with candy.
”La, 'Liphalet,” exclaimed Miss Prime, when she saw them, ”what on airth have you been a-buyin' that child--jumpin'-jacks an' sich things? They ain't a bit o' good, 'ceptin' to litter up a house an' put lightness in childern's minds. Freddie, what 's that on yore ap.r.o.n? Goodness me! an'
look at them hands--candy! 'Liphalet Hodges, I did give you credit fur better jedgment than this. Candy is the cause o' more aches an' pains than poison; an' some of it 's reelly coloured with ars'nic. How do you expect a child to grow up healthy an' with sound teeth when you feed him on candy?”
”Now, Miss Hester, now, now, now. I don't want to be a-interferin'
with yore bus'ness; but it 's jest like I said before, an' I will stick to it, you 'ain't never had no experunce in raisin' children.
They can't git along jest on meat an' bread an' jam: they need candy--an'--ah--candy--an' sich things.” Mr. Hodges ended lamely, looking rather guiltily at the boy's bulging pockets. ”A little bit ain't a-goin' to hurt no child.”
”'Liphalet, I 've got a dooty to perform towards this motherless child, an' I ain't a-goin' to let no foolish notions keep me from performin'
it.”
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