Right there I exploded and the young man let out a great haw! haw! too that helped to break the ice, and also enabled Dee to stop her painful rejoinders to his polite small talk, and then he began to buy. I heard Annie and Sleepy as they hitched the horse at the post and I hoped devoutly the festive d.i.c.k would buy out the store before they got in.
Already he had purchased six cravats, a new coal skuttle, a much-decorated set of bedroom china, a bag of horse cakes, some canned salmon and a box of axle grease when Annie made her appearance.
She was looking so lovely that I did not blame Sleepy for having the expression of a hungry man. She was certainly good enough to eat.
"Oh, Page, we had such a wonderful drive! I am so afraid we were gone too long, but George simply would not turn around." Annie was the only person who always called Sleepy by his Christian name.
"He was quite right. I have had the time of my life. Dee is helping me.
She is in the other room now, selling a young man named d.i.c.k everything in the store. Don"t b.u.t.t in on her; let her finish her sales. Here come the others! They said they would be back to see you."
In came all the house-party and such a hugging and kissing and handshaking ensued as I am sure that little country store had never before witnessed.
"Oh, Annie, we miss you so!" cried Mary.
"Indeed we do!" from the others.
"Maybe I can be with you in a day or so," said Annie. "Father is going to try to return in a very little while."
"Well, until he does come back one of us is going to be with you every day," declared Dum. "Page and Dee need not think they are the only ones who are going to help."
Annie"s eyes were full of happy tears. "What have I done to deserve so many dear friends?" she whispered to me.
"Nothing but just be your sweet self!" I answered. "I must peep in and see what Dee is doing to that poor defenseless d.i.c.k. I bet she has sold him a kitchen stove by this time."
Annie and I made our way into the outer room, where at the far end we could see d.i.c.k and Dee in earnest converse.
"It is a very excellent one," she was declaiming. "In fact, I am sure there is not a better one to be bought. It is air tight and water tight; of the best material; the latest style; the workmanship on it is very superior; the price is ridiculously low. Really I think all country people ought to have one in the house for emergencies. One never can tell when one will be needed and sometimes they are so difficult to get in a hurry."
"That"s so!" agreed the enamored d.i.c.k. "But I reckon I could get this any time from old man Pore if I should need it."
"Oh, no! You see this is the only one in stock and somebody might come for this this very night, and then where would you be if you needed it?
Then even if you could get another one, it might not be nearly so attractive as this one. They are going up, too, all the time,--effect of the war. Of course this was bought when they were not so high, and I am letting you have advantage of the price we paid for it. After this they will be up at least forty per cent.--that"s the truth. The war prices are something fierce."
"Ain"t it the truth?"
"Yes, and then you might not be able to get another lavender one. I just know lavender would be becoming to you. I"d like to see you in a lavender one."
"Would you really now? That settles it then! I"ll have to get old Pore to trust me, though, until I sell my melons."
"Oh, that"s all right. Just whenever you feel like paying."
I was completely mystified. What on earth was that ridiculous girl selling to the young farmer? Annie was reduced to the limpness of a wet dishrag by what we had overheard. The giggles had her in their clutches and she could not speak.
"Do you think you can help me out with it?" asked the young man.
"Sure! It is not heavy yet."
Around the labyrinth made by the farming implements, stoves, etc., came the buyer and seller, he backing and she carefully guiding him. Between them they carried a long something; I, at first, could not make out what.
"A coffin!" I gasped.
Through the door they made their way into the store proper. Some colored customers had just come in and these fell back with expressions of curiosity and awe equally mingled on their black faces.
"Who daid? Who daid?" they whispered, but no one vouchsafed any information. Dee looked supernaturally solemn and d.i.c.k only wanted to get his latest purchase safely landed in his car.
The house-party had adjourned to the porch in front, and when the lugubrious procession emerged from the store the gaiety suddenly ceased. As d.i.c.k backed out, the young men doffed their caps and the girls bowed their heads. What was their amazement when Dee turned out to have hold of the other end. Every man sprang forward to take her place, but she sadly shook her head and held on to her job.
"It isn"t heavy," she whispered.
Dum"s eyes filled with tears. She thought with sadness that in a short while it would be heavy when it fulfilled its destiny. She was very proud of her twin that she should be so kind and helpful at such a time.
How like Dee it was to be a.s.sisting this poor young man, who had perhaps lost some one near and dear to him!
No one spoke, but all remained reverently uncovered while the coffin was hoisted on the back seat of the ragged old car. The young men a.s.sisted in this, although Dee would not resign her place as chief mourner.
"Who daid? Who daid?" clamored the darkies who seemed to spring up from the ground, such a crowd of them appeared in the twinkling of an eye.
"I don"t know," said Dum in a teary voice, "but isn"t it sad?"
""Tain"t Miss Rena Lee "cause I jes" done seed her headin" fer the sto"," declared a little pickaninny.
"She ain"t a-trus"in" her bones ter Mr. d.i.c.k"s artermobe. She done sayed she gonter dribe her ole yaller mule whar she gwinter go."
"Ain"t de Lees got a boardner? Maybe it"s de boardner," suggested a helpful old woman.
"Well, I wonder if it is! Here he come! I"m a-gwinter arsk him."
d.i.c.k came out laden with his other purchases.
"Lawsamussy! It mus" be de boardner an" all er her folks is a-comin"
down, "cause how come Mr. d.i.c.k hafter buy all them things otherwise?
Look thar chiny an" coal skuttles an" what not!"
"Who daid, Mr. d.i.c.k? Who daid?"
"n.o.body I know of!" grinned the young man.
"Ain"t it de boardner?"
"What boarder?"
"Miss Rena"s boardner!"
"Sister Rena hasn"t any boarder that I know of. Here, get out of the road or I"ll let you know who is dead!"
He took a fond farewell of Dee and cranking up his noisy car, he jumped to his seat and speeded home with the coffin and the coal skuttle bouncing up and down right merrily.
"Ain"t n.o.body daid?" grieved a sad old woman.