“You’s silly, Sally,” declared Eben, nimbly skipping beyond reach of the deluge of hot suds with which Sally retaliated. “‘Co’se you is silly. Ain’t we been a-hearin’ many tales ’bout kings and queens an’ sich what air a beggin’ in the streets since this here war that done stirred up the worl’ ter such a ixtent? If kings an’ queens air took ter beggin’, I don’t see why you air so proudified as ter think we-alls air safe.”
“Humph! Kings an’ queens ain’t nothin’ but furriners—some er them even low down wops an’ sich. I wan’t a talkin’ ’bout kings an’ queens but ’bout sho’ nuf quality folks whose amcestors comed from Virginny.”
And so the old couple wrangled in the kitchen while Mary Louise and Josie continued their talk in the den.
“What is your suggestion?” asked Mary Louise.
“Bonnets and hats! A millinery department of the Higgledy Piggledy! It will pay like preferred stock in the best investment in the country. At first, people will swarm there just to see you being a milliner. You’ll have to submit to being a nine days’ wonder and then, when you do their things so well and put so much style in their hats and bonnets, they will come back because they like what you do. Why, honey, you are going to be the successful business woman of Dorfield.”
“Oh Josie!”
“Certainly you are! You have it in you to be a success. Whatever you have undertaken, you have pushed through with sureness until you have reached the goal. Of course you have been spoiled in a way by having money come too easily but that isn’t going to hurt your business career any. It may help it. It will give you a larger outlook and keep you from being so all-fired particular about small bits of money. I think that is the trouble with so many women who go into business. They have heard so much about ‘taking care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves’ that they spend too much time and thought over unimportant sums and forget the other saying ‘Penny wise and pound foolish.’”
Josie was mounted on one of her hobbies and she rode gaily on, clucking to her nag and switching his flanks with proverbs and arguments until Mary Louise was in a gale of merriment.
“Josie, Josie, you are too delicious!”
Aunt Sally stopped scrubbing and arose from her knees.