"Then you like him, Ann—you trust him?"
"I sure do."
"Oh, you dear—dear—dear thing!" And once again Mrs. Trapes was clasped in those vigorous young arms and kissed with every "dear."
"Though, mind you," said Mrs. Trapes, pushing cup and saucer out of harm's way, "though, mind you, he's a mystery I ain't found out—yet. D' ye s'pose he made any money out o' them blessed peanuts—not him! Mrs. Smalley, as lives down along 'Leventh, she told me as she's seen him givin' 'em away by the bagful t' all the children down her way—repeated!"
"How sweet of him!" said Hermione, her red mouth all tender curves.
"Yes, but how did he live? How does he? How will he?"
"I don't know, dear; I only know I would trust him always—always!" And sitting back, chin in hand, Hermione fell again to happy thought.
"When he give up the nuts," pursued Mrs. Trapes, draining the teapot and sighing, "he tells me some fool tale of makin' a deal in real estate, an' I—ha, real estate!" Mrs. Trapes put down the teapot with a jerk. "A deal in real estate!" she repeated, and thereafter fell to such unintelligible mutterings as "Record price! Fab'lous! No, it couldn't be! An' yet—silk socks! 'On an' after above date all tenants soever residin'—will be re-dooced by fifty per cent!'" Suddenly Mrs. Trapes sat bolt upright. "My land!" she ejaculated, "oh, dear land o' my fathers—if sech could be!"
"Why, Ann," exclaimed Hermione, roused from her reverie, "whatever is the matter?"
"My dear," said Mrs. Trapes, laying gentle hand on Hermione's blooming cheek, "nothin'—nothin' 't all! I'm jest goin' over in my mind sich small matters as silk socks an' toothbrushes, that's all."