Mrs. Osborne laughed. “How silly! Who are ‘they’ that say such foolish things?�
“Uh, it’s jest bein’ talked ’round,� Emma answered evasively.
“It sounds like propaganda,� said Mrs. Osborne, wrinkling her brow.
“Naw’m, ’tain’t no sort o’ gander. It’s just talk dat’s goin’ ’round. You-all want some seconds batter-cakes, you say, honey?�
And Emma went bustling about her work, deaf to all further questions.
CHAPTER VIII
“COME on, Sweet William! Sweet William!� sang Patsy, catching her small brother by the hand and dancing down the walk. “Let’s go to Broad Acres for a look around. Alice! uh, Alice!� She called Alice Blair, who was sitting in the swing, with her knitting. “Come and see how our gardens are growing. We’ve been so busy being field hands for Mr. Spencer’s cotton, I’ve not been to our garden for two whole days.�
“I ran by to look at it this morning,� said Alice. “I feel real lonesome if I don’t see it every day.�
“So do I,� agreed Patsy. “I know now how David felt that first year he had corn at Happy Acres, and he used to ‘go by’ to see it every time he was sent to the store for the mail or a spool of thread.�
At the garden gate they paused and called Ruth. She came out on the back porch, but stopped at the head of the steps.