“El doctor say you have study de Spanish,” he insisted.
“Sí, señor, I studied Spanish two years,” she replied, “but I speak very little.”
“Ah, my dear young lady,” he said pleasantly, “if you do not try, how can you learn? You must speak to me in de Spanish. You see, my Ingles ver’ bad. I am too old to learn de Ingles now.”
“Oh, no, señor,” quickly replied Jo Ann. “You speak very good English. Much better English than I do Spanish.”
“Gracias, señorita,” he replied, smiling. “But how can I know?—you have not speak de Spanish. My son, Joaquin, speak de Ingles perfect-ly. I send him to college in de States. You know—Harvard—I t’ink you call it?” he asked, pronouncing it Arvard, since the h is always silent in Spanish.
“Oh, yes, indeed! I know Harvard. It is a college of very high standing. Does he like it there?”
“Sí, he likes it ver’ much. Dis year he finis, den he come home, and I take him in de office wid me. If he vas here now he could help you. De doctor say you are interes’ in de history of my city.”
“Sí, señor, I am,” she answered quickly. “I want to find out all I can about that old church across the street from Dr. Blackwell’s house. Both it and the house are so old, I feel sure there must be some very interesting things connected with them.”
“I t’ink you are right, and I shall be ver’ happy to assist you,” he offered. “We feel proud to t’ink you are interes’ in our city. Did you not want some books?”
“I’d like to see some that contain old records and accounts of the early history of the city, about the time that church was built.”