"There's only one thing that keeps me mad," he says, "and that is that old Ebenezer's got the laugh on us again. As for more room for the store—well, we'll have to think that out."
We thought, but it wa'n't us that got the answer. 'Twas Mary Blaisdell. I told her what our fuss had been about, and she agreed that I was right and that Jim Henry's sharp business sense had sort of run away with him for the time bein'.
"But," says she, "we certainly do need more room, both in the mail department and the store. I've had an idea for some time. Let me think a while."
Next day she told Jacobs and me what her idea was. 'Twas that we should build an addition on to our own buildin'. Run it two stories high and right out into the back yard. 'Twas just the thing and the wonder is that we hadn't thought of it ourselves.
"She's a wonder, Jim, ain't she?" says I, when we was alone together.
"You think so, don't you, Skipper," says he, smilin'.
I flared up. "Sartin I do," I says. "Don't you?"
"Indeed I do."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Oh, nothin', nothin'. Say, have you seen old Taylor lately? I suppose he's crowin' like a Shanghai rooster. I do hate for that old skinflint to have the joke always on his side."