“Oh, wait, Mrs. Ringold! Jessie says maybe it is the aerial that is at fault. Maybe she can tell you how to fix it.”
The woman turned with some relief in her face, but Belle was by no means pacified by this interference. She blazed out:
“Tell her to mind her own business! She doesn’t know any more about this thing than I do.”
“And you don’t seem to know anything at all, Belle,” her mother joined in maliciously. “Do you know any more? Can you see what’s wrong, Jessie Norwood?”
This was not very encouraging, but Jessie had been taught to be respectful in any event. She said quietly:
“I am not positive. But it looks to me as though a mistake had been made in the stringing of the aerial up there.”
“If there is,” snapped Belle, “you like enough put that Dogtown kid up to doing it that way. You were here yesterday when he was doing it.”
“Stop that!” commanded her mother sharply. But Jessie could not endure this false accusation without defense.
“You know very well, Belle, that Monty Shannon did not finish the job. He was called home. Whoever rigged the wires after he left made a mistake.”
“Now, don’t interfere here again, Belle!” commanded Belle’s mother, and she actually drove her daughter away from the porch. “If you can help fix this thing I’ll be a thousand times obliged to you,” she added, turning to Jessie.