"'You DO look so comfortable, Mr. Parker,' purrs Abbie, as sweet and
syrupy as a molasses stopper. 'It must be SUCH a comfort to a man to
smoke. I don't care WHAT the minister says, you can smoke here just as
much as you want to! It must be pretty hard to live in a house where you
can't enjoy yourself. I shouldn't think it would seem like home. A man
like you NEEDS a good home. Why, how I do run on!'
"Oh, there ain't really nothin' the matter with the Widow Larkin--so
fur's smartness is concerned, there ain't.
"And for five days more Kenelm ate his meals at Abbie's and smoked and
was happy, happier'n he'd been for months.
"Meantime, Hannah and Etta was visitin' the President--that is to say,
they was lookin' over the White House fence and sayin' 'My stars!' and
'Ain't it elegant!' Nights, when the sightseein' was over, what they did
mostly was to gloat over how mean and jealous they'd make the untraveled
common tribe at sewin' circle feel when they got back home. They could
just see themselves workin' on the log-cabin quilt for the next sale,
and slingin' out little reminders like, 'Land sakes! What we're
talkin' about reminds me of what Etta and me saw when we was in the
Congressional Libr'ry. YOU remember that, Etta?' And that would be
Etta's hint to look cute and giggle and say, 'Well! I should say I DID!'
And all the rest of the circlers would smile kind of unhealthy smiles
and try to look as if trips to Washington wa'n't nothin'; THEY wouldn't
go if you hired 'em to.
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