“I certainly did.”
“Wal, I hates ter hu’t yo’ feelin’s, Miss Jess,” said Mammy, gravely, “but dat ‘Leetle drops o’ water’ po’try was a hull lot better—ter my min’! Ya’as’m! yo kin’ go right up. Yo’ll hear dem-all a-spoutin’—spoutin’ jes’ like whales!”
And so she did. Chet was reading his lines with much unction while striding up and down Laura’s pretty little room. Lance and Mother Wit were his audience.
“For goodness sake, Chet!” cried Jess, breaking in. “Who told you your part was tragic, and that ‘The Spring Road’ was tragedy?”
“Huh?” questioned Chet, stopping short and blinking at her.
“Do read the lines naturally. Don’t be ‘orating,’ as Mammy Jinny calls it. I guess she’s right. ‘Little drops of water’ is better than all that bombastic stuff. Do, do, my dear, speak it naturally.”
“Hear her!” growled Chet “And she wrote it!”
“I never really meant it to sound like that, Chet,” declared Jess, shaking her head. “I really didn’t. Why! it sounds almost as bad as ‘The Duchess of Dawnleigh.’”
“Wha—what’s that?” demanded Lance.
“Not Lil’s play?” cried Laura. “Have you heard it?”