Grandma only rocked her straight chair, jerking one foot up and down.
"One of these padrones," Daddy said slowly, "is trying to get families to work in Florida. In winter fruits."
Grandma brightened. "Floridy might do us a sight of good, and I always did hanker after palm trees. But how could we get there?"
"They send you down in a truck," said Daddy. "Charge you so much a head and feed and lodge you into the bargain. I figure we've got just about enough to make it."
South into summer!
"That really would be a peekaneeka!" crowed Rose-Ellen.
[PEEKANEEKA?]
That trip to Florida surprised the Beechams, but not happily.
First, the driver shook his head at featherbeds, dishes, trunk. "I take three grown folks, three kids, one baby, twenty-eight dollars," he growled. "No furniture."
Argument did no good. Hastily the family sorted out their most needed clothing and made it into small bundles. The driver scowled at even those.