Mr. W—— arose to go, and Miss Scrimp stood ready to see him to the door.
“Please wait here a minute, dear—I want to say something to you,” she whispered to Hattie as she went out.
After seeing Mr. W—— out, Miss Scrimp hurried back and found Hattie waiting.
“What luck!” said the former, as she shuffled into the room. “Not a girl in the house saw him come or go. And what a nice man he is! Why, Miss Hattie, I’d almost have him myself, if he’d ask me. And I’d make no mean match, either. I’m just forty-six, and I’ve a thousand dollars in bank for every year of my life. Now, don’t tell him so—or if you should happen to let it slip, be sure and tell him not to tell any one else. I’ve got it safe in the best bank in the city.”
“Was that all you wanted to say to me, Miss Scrimp?” asked Hattie, not at all impressed by the bank account of the ancient young lady of acknowledged forty-six.
“Well, no; I wanted to say how I admired your independence in refusing such a grand offer, and that I’d keep your secret ever so close.”
“Miss Scrimp, it is no secret. I am utterly indifferent whether it is known or remains unknown. It is enough for me to keep your secrets.”
And Hattie moved out of the room with the air of a queen.
“Oh, the wretch! I could just scratch her eyes out!” hissed Miss Scrimp, when the door closed and she was alone. “I’m in her power, or I’d—I’d—the mercy only knows what I wouldn’t do! I’ll bet that bindery man’ll try to marry her. But he sha’n’t, not if I can help it. I’ll marry him myself first. I’ve got nigher sixty thousand dollars in bank, than what I told her, and if he has got something to put with it, he could give up book-binderies, and I’d let out the boarding-house business to the first one who’d take it. I don’t like horrid men, but I do like him, he smiled so sweet when he thanked me for breakin’ over my rules on his account.”
And the old spinster rubbed her thin, skinny hands together, and stood up before her cracked looking-glass, and made all sorts of pretty faces at herself, while she smoothed down her false hair and tried to see how interesting she could look in the glass.