Luanna May poked her in the ribs with
her elbow, and Mrs. Rowan spoke up quite loud: "Why, Pa, how you go
on! I wasn't but a minute, an' you hardly ever come before halfpast.
And furthermore, mister, I want to know how I'm to keep this house
a-lookin' like anything an' you a-trackin' in snow like that. Just
look at you. I sh'd think you'd know enough to stomp your feet
before you come in. Luanna May, you come grind the coffee. Alfie,
run git your Pa his old slippers." That set both of them to
giggling, and Mrs. Rowan went out into the kitchen and began to
pound the beefsteak.
"D' you think she sispicioned anythin'?" asked Mr. Rowan out of one
side of his mouth, and Elmer Lonnie said, "No, sir," and wondered
if his Pa "sispicioned anythin"' when Ma said, "Run git the old
slippers."
Mr. Waldo always walked up with Mr. Rowan, and just about that time
his little Mary Ellen was climbing up into his lap and saying: "I
bet you can't guess what I'm a-goin' to buy you for a Christmas gift
with my pennies what I got saved up."
"I'll just bet I can."
"No, you can't. It's awful pretty - I mean, they're awful pretty.
Somepin you want, too." How could he guess with her fingering his
tarnished cuff buttons and looking down at them every minute or two?
"Well, now, let me see.
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