“Oh!” she laughed. “This is so funny.”
“What’s the matter with all of the women?” Tom said, puzzled. “Why do they say ‘Oh!’ when you show them the letter, and act as though they were gagging on something?”
“Search me,” I returned, digging at my hair.
Returning to Church Street, I started Tom in where Peg had left off the preceding afternoon, then hurried back to Main Street, my own territory. I called at all of the houses, the full length of the street, making a number of sales. One of the women that I called on was telephoning in the front hall when I came to the door. I courteously waited until she was through talking, then rang the bell.
Her face broke into smiles when she saw me. And she wanted to know if I were the boy who had Miss Prindle’s beauty letter.
“I just heard about it over the ’phone,” she explained. “May I see it, please?”
She was called back to the telephone before I could locate the letter in my pocket. [[126]]
“This is one-seven-one-nine,” she said sweetly. “Oh!… Is it you, Mrs. Bardan? I didn’t recognize your voice. No, really I didn’t. What was that? Oh, yes! No, I haven’t used any of it myself. I suppose we’ll all be using it soon! Did you hear—— Yes, Mrs. McLennigan ’phoned to me. She heard about it from Mrs. Larson. Isn’t it killing! Go-o-od-by!”
Returning to the door, she took my letter and read it through.
“Oh!” she gurgled, leaning against the door casing, one hand pressed on her heart. “This is the funniest thing I ever heard of. Going into the movies! Oh!”