And the
Japanese furniture shop and--another photographer--and here's the bill for
bric-a-brac--that's sixteen. The wine account--there is one, but it ought
to be Mrs. Whitney's; for entertaining. I suppose Pa and Ma would say that
was a very wicked bill, now wouldn't they, Schoolmaster?"
"They would indeed, Helen 'Lizy; I'm not sure that I don't agree with
them. By the way, does your father know about all this?"
"Yes, a little. I've begged him for money, but he won't mortgage the farm.
And Judge Baker knows. He wants me to come back to his house, but of
course I won't do it. I guess he's sent for Father; Pa's coming East soon,
on a cattle train pass."
"A cattle train!"
John stabbed the paper viciously, then he said more gently:--
"A cattle train is cold comfort for a substantial farmer at his time of
life; and I don't think we will let him mortgage."
That young man will need discipline; but I imagine he was thinking less
about my poor old father than about--well, I needn't have mentioned the
Baker house, but what does he really know of how I came to leave it?
Perhaps suspicion and bitter memories made my retort more spirited than it
need have been.
Pages:
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359