Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-10
CHAPTER VII-Continued.

What in the nation?" says i.
Hello. SOL says he. Where's the
folk?"
Turned In. says /. What's up"
He seemed real disappointed. Set the
bundles down on the kitchen table and
pulled. That sand is hard walking and
nobody knows it better than | do.
Turned in SO early. have theyc" he
says. That's too bad. l wanted 10 see
EN-
Want me TO roust 'em OUT" 1 asks.
NO l guess not But they're nice folk
ever l see and I've fetched 'em few
presents
l Topped into chair l was getting
used to surprises. but Mates giving any
body present was the biggest wonder
yet. l figured that lunacy was catching
and we was all going crazy together.
Yes. says he. Me and Hubby AIMS
been talking IT over. They've hired this
house and-and-all the rest of it. and We
want em to like it, Don't want em to
get tired and leave. you see.''
l see all right. When the melons get
ting ripe that's the time to watch it.
Yes" he says Il like them young
feller's wells anybody l ever see. and
so does Hubby. We got TO thinking OF en-
over here in this big house. andwe wanted
home. Now there's nothing ike pic
lures and such on the walls to make q
place honey. So Hubby and me has SEM
EN- these few things to hang up round.
He commenced to undo the bundles.
Twas Hubby AIMS notion" ha wen,
on. when she bought this place at auc
ton there was the furniture and fixing.
in it that belonged to Marcellus. Some
of 'em we left here. beds and chairs anC
the like of that. and some We took over
to Lon
needed, and these is some We had i'm the
attic
He'd got the newspapers and strings Of
by this time, and he spread the present:
out on the floor. There was was
wreath. from old Mrs. Berry's funeral
ment Of daeuerreotype of Marcellu:
when he was thirty or SO: he had a fancy
vest on. and a choker and a fringed-en6
necktie. and looked like he was freezins
was shell work basket in a shell frame
with about a third of the shells missing
and two silver coffin plates on black vel.
vet and a wOrsted motto thing with
What is home without a mother on it
"There! says Nate. happy and gener.
GUS. Wen give EN- them things. Hubby
and me. Leastways. they can have EN-
to look at while they're here. Have 'em
strung around on the setting-room walls
and it kind of takes Off the bare look
Gives 'em something to think about. too
don't it?''
YES" says 1. Il should think 'twould
] wouldn't think of much else, seems to
me-"
YES" says he. well. 1 hoped the,
could have 'em tonight afore they went
morning. Tell EN- they're from me and
Hubby. I'll be around after breakfast
anyhow. to fetch some more things from
the store and see If there amt something
else 1 can do. Good night
Good night" says l. absent-minded
1 couldn't get my mind off them coffir
plates.
He kind of hesitated.
''Oh. say" he says. Ibid You eat all
of them mackerel you had? If you didn't
couple along home with me. Huldys
dreadful fond of mackerel."
There amt but one left" says l.
''and-''
"Oh, WELL" he says. "onell be enough
for us. We're awful small eaters"
So l trotted out the mackerel and he
done 1t up In piece Of the newspaper
and went away to his doTy. 1 logged In
the presents and laid 'em away In the old
chest of drawers in the dining room. Eel,
like an undertaken. too. 1 did. all the
time i was doing it. / didn't want the
Heavenlies to see them relics till they d
ate a good breakfast-they was too much
for an empty stomach. Then / locked
up and took the lamp and went to my
room.
After / got undressed / opened the
window and leaned on the sill and
thought. l thought about my new job
and what L could see was coming to me
in the way OF work. and about Lord
James and Nate and ALL And then
thought of Hartley and that Page girl
Martin didn't act TO me like a money
grabber. l couldn't understand it, One
thing was sure Of. them two was meant
for each other, and il seemed to me that
they still liked each other. But there
was Van Brunt-I liked him too.
Just then a laundering great green
head bit me on the back of the neck and
1 slammed down the sash and turned in
on my bale Of corncobs. Tired. dom
talk.