Jo Ann relayed this question to the woman. “How much do you sell these for?”
The woman went on to tell the price of each—an absurdly small amount, not a third as much as they were worth.
“Is that what those men pay you for them?” Jo Ann asked incredulously.
“Sí.” The woman nodded.
Jo Ann repeated the price to Peggy, adding, “Those men are robbers, as well as——”
She left her sentence unfinished and turned back to the woman, saying, “They do not pay you enough. I will give you twice that much for these two ollas.”
The woman’s eyes opened wide. “Ah—that is good. I have much need of money to buy food for my children.” She hesitated a moment, then added, “Bien, I will let you have these two. The men will be angry, but then——” She shrugged her shoulders expressively.
Jo Ann’s mind was working rapidly. Perhaps she could help this poor woman to market more of her pottery. Florence had a friend who purchased Mexican curios for a firm in the States. She would tell Florence about this woman’s pottery. “I’ll take these two ollas. Don’t let those men have all your pottery after this. I will sell it for you at this price.”
After Jo Ann had paid for the jars and had promised the woman again to help sell more of the pottery for her, Peggy remarked as they were starting away, “I’m glad you paid that woman more for the ollas, but I’m afraid those men’ll be furious when they find out you’re buying her pottery at double the price they pay. You’re heading for trouble.”
Jo Ann’s face grew grave. “I shouldn’t be surprised, but I’m glad just the same that I could help that family. Those poor little children look half starved to me.”