That fellow that sold us the funeral
speeches didn't seem to know about 'em. I tell you what, you
folks better stop and have dinner with us and you can tell us
what we'd ought to buy. I'm just ready to put the potatoes on
the stove now."
I must confess that the prospect of sitting down to a meal I
hadn't cooked myself appealed to me strongly; and I was keen
to see what kind of grub Mrs. Mason provided for her
house-hold; but I was afraid that if we dallied there too long
Andrew would be after us. I was about to say that we would
have to be getting on, and couldn't stay; but apparently the
zest of expounding his philosophy to new listeners was too
much for Mifflin. I heard him saying:
"That's mighty kind of you, Mrs. Mason, and we'd like very
much to stay. Perhaps I can put Peg up in your barn for a
while. Then we can tell you all about our books." And to my
amazement I found myself chiming in with assent.
Mifflin certainly surpassed himself at dinner. The fact that
Mrs. Mason's hot biscuits tasted of saleratus gave me far less
satisfaction than it otherwise would, because I was absorbed
in listening to the little vagabond's talk. Mr. Mason came to
the table grumbling something about his telephone being out of
order--(I wondered whether he had been trying to get Andrew
on the wire; he was a little afraid that I was being run away
with, I think)--but he was soon won over by the current of the
little man's cheery wit.
Pages:
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51