“Yes. And Jim ‘James.’ But I’m afraid I shall forget—sometimes.”
“I’m afraid—a good many of us will,” laughed Miss Maggie.
“It all came from them Gaylords, I believe,” sniffed Flora. “I don’t think much of ’em; but Hattie seems to. I notice she don’t put nothin’ discouragin’ in the way of young Gaylord and Bess. But he pays ’most as much attention to Mellicent, so far as I can see, whenever Carl Pennock will give him a chance. Did you ever see the beat of that boy? It’s the money, of course. I hope Mellicent’ll give him a good lesson, before she gets through with it. He deserves it,” she ejaculated, as she picked up her fur neck-piece, and fastened it with a jerk.
In the doorway she paused and glanced cautiously toward Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith, perceiving the glance, tried very hard to absorb himself in the rows of names dates before him; but he could not help hearing Miss Flora’s next words.
“Maggie, hain’t you changed your mind a mite yet? Won’t you let me give you some of my money? I’d so love to, dear!”
But Miss Maggie, with a violent shake of her head, almost pushed Miss Flora into the hall and shut the door firmly.
Mr. Smith, left alone at his table, wrote again furiously, and with vicious little jabs of his pencil.
. . . . . . .
One by one the winter days passed. At the Duffs’ Mr. Smith was finding a most congenial home. He liked Miss Maggie better than ever, on closer acquaintance. The Martin girls fitted pleasantly into the household, and plainly did much to help the mistress of the house. Father Duff was still as irritable as ever, but he was not so much in evidence, for his increasing lameness was confining him almost entirely to his own room. This meant added care for Miss Maggie, but, with the help of the Martins, she still had some rest and leisure, some time to devote to the walks and talks with Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith said it was absolutely imperative, for the sake of her health, that she should have some recreation, and that it was an act of charity, anyway, that she should lighten his loneliness by letting him walk and talk with her.
Mr. Smith could not help wondering a good deal these days about Miss Maggie’s financial resources. He knew from various indications that they must be slender. Yet he never heard her plead poverty or preach economy. In spite of the absence of protecting rugs and tidies, however, and in spite of the fact that she plainly conducted her life and household along the lines of the greatest possible comfort, he saw many evidences that she counted the pennies—and that she made every penny count.