"Good-evenin', Zekle," said the girl, bravely assuming a calm superiority
to all embarrassment and confusion. "Will ye come in th' parlor, er had ye
ruther set out on th' piazza?"
Zekle was wise; he knew that "Little Jim" dare not intrude on the sacred
precincts of the parlor, and he answered, "I'd jest es live set in th'
parlor, of it's all th' same ter you."
"Ya'as, I'd jest es live," she replied, and led the way into the room; he
followed, and sat down in rather constrained fashion on the chair nearest
the door, deposited his hat on the floor beside him, took from his pocket
and unfolded with a flirt an immense bandanna handkerchief, highly redolent
of cheap cologne, and proceeded to mop his face with it.
"It's ruther warm," he observed.
"Ya'as," she replied, from a rocking-chair in the corner facing him. Here
there was a long pause, and presently she added, "Pappy said es how he
tho't it mought rain in er day er two."
The family in the sitting-room had settled down, the door being closed
between that room and the parlor.
"There, mother, gi' Thaney ter me," said Mother Tyler. "I know ye're tired
holdin' of her, fer she ain't no light weight," and she lifted the little
one away.
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