If
you pester me now I won't renew anyhow. Go along home and quit your
frettin'. Long's you're there, you BE there. What more do you want?"
There was a good deal more of this sort of thing, but it was all quite
as unsatisfactory. Thankful gave it up at last.
"I shan't come here again," she declared desperately. "If you want to
see me you can come to my place."
"Humph!"
"Well, you will, or not see me. Why haven't you been there? Time and
time again you have promised to come, but you never have. I shall begin
to believe there is some reason why you don't want to go into that
house."
She was on her way to the door, but Solomon called after her.
"Here!" he shouted. "Hold on! What do you mean by that? Why shouldn't I
go into that house if I want to? Why shouldn't I?"
"I don't know; all I know is that you don't seem to want to. I can't say
why you don't want to, but--"
"But what?"
"But, maybe, if someone that's dead and gone was here--he could."
"He--he--who? What? Hi! Where you goin'?"
"I'm goin' home."
"No, you ain't--not until you tell me what you mean by--by somebody
that's dead and gone. What kind of talk is that? What do you mean?"
"Maybe I don't know what I mean, Solomon; but I think you do. If you
don't then your looks belie you, that's all."
She went out of the "henhouse." As she drove away she saw Mr. Cobb
peering at her through the window. He was "weeding" with both hands and
he looked agitated and--yes, frightened.
Pages:
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311