Tom (enthusiastically).—Lead me to it!
Rastus (announcing).—First call for dinner in de dining car!
Second call for dinner in de dining car!
Last call for dinner in de dining car!
Susan.—Abner, you can stay and redd up the sitting room while we have supper!
(Exeunt all, while Abner pantomimes disgust, but takes the lemon from his pocket, looks at it, grins, replaces it, and, whistling, takes seat; begins to doze and nod as curtain falls.)
(Intermission.)
ACT II.
(Curtain rises on same scene. Abner dozing, chin on chest, or head back, mouth open. Voice outside, “That sure was good pie, Aunt Susan.” Abner wakens, rises.)
Abner (soliloquizing).—That’s just it! The others all in there eatin’ pie, an’ me got to redd up the settin’ room like a sissy! (Picks up a few articles in a discontented manner.) Christmas tree! Much chance there is of being something for me on that tree! I guess stinginess must run in Miss Susan’s family, for when her brother and his wife spent Christmas here last year, do you s’pose they brought Miss Susan a present? Nix! Christmas morning brother says (mimicking) “Merry Christmas, dear Susan! We wish to give you a useful gift and no foolish trumpery, so Amelia and I decided to pay for having your henhouse whitewashed as it needs it badly.” Then that there generous giver he turns to me and says, “Abner, my boy (mimicking), I do not wish to forget you, and I have noticed that a pane in your bedroom window is broken, so I will have it fixed at my expense.” Yessum, that there gentleman literally and figuratively gives me a pane!