“Oh, I don’t know,” returned Christine; “it’s what I expect to be and it would be rather nice for us to live together.”
“But you won’t be. Your time’ll come, too. Nobody can’t make me believe Steve won’t come back. Why, I remember jest how he looked the very day he was missin’. He come by an’ says: ‘I’m expectin’ John back in a few days, an’ I’ll be expectin’ you to dance at my weddin’ purty soon, Hannah Maria. If you’ll make my weddin’ cake I’ll see that you git a sweetheart.’ Jest like his jokin’; always purtendin’ I ain’t got married ’cause I kain’t git ary man ter hev me. I says, ‘I reckon ’most anybody could git married in this country if they wanted to pick up a crooked stick like some I could name,’ an’ he laughed and said I’d better look out or I’d git a crooked stick myself if I waited too long. He knows as well as anybody thet I’ve hed chances and thet nobody could induce me to leave Bud while he’s single. There, I declar’ ef Laura Van Dorn ain’t a-comin’. She will be disapp’inted not to see Allie. She’s real fond of Allie, on her brother’s account, I reckon. I wonder if he came with her.”
“Heard the news?” said Laura as she entered.
“No. What is it?” said Hannah Maria eagerly.
“The Dutch have taken Holland,” returned Laura laughing.
“Oh, git out,” cried Hannah Maria. “You’re always foolin’. I thought it was something from the seat of war.”
“It’s likely to be quiet down there for awhile,” said Laura, swinging her sunbonnet by its strings. “Where’s Allie?”
“Gone over home. She’s daft about that place and that little greaser gal, pretty little thing she is, and well-behaved as any lady I ever saw. Her father’s kep’ her good and quiet an’ she’s real superior, though I ain’t much for them greasers at the best. Still, I dunno that she’ll do Allie any harm.”
“I certainly don’t think she will,” put in Christine. “I should not let Alison be so intimate with her if I did not think it was perfectly safe for her. Lolita is very quick to learn and you would be surprised to see what a good appearance she makes anywhere. Alison watches her like a hawk, to be sure, and brings her to task if she commits any mistake at table, or anywhere else, for that matter.”
“You ought just to see some of ’em,” said Hannah Maria. “They ain’t no idea of usin’ anything but their fingers when they eat, an’ such messes as they do cook would make a cat sick. I reckon Lolita has some good blood in her. They say old Pedro belonged to right nice folks. Blythe come over, Laura?”