“No, suh, she ain’t home. Dey’s nobody home ’cept’n myse’f.”
Annan said: “I’ve some flowers. I’d like to arrange them to surprise Miss Odell. Could I bring them around, Hattie?”
“Suit yo’se’f, suh. It ain’t botherin’ me none.”
“I’ll be right around,” he said gaily.
She went sullenly back to her kettle, meditating mischief.
Annan arrived in a few moments, laden with long, flat boxes of pasteboard. He nodded pleasantly to Hattie, took his flowers to the living-room, returned to fetch a dozen plain glass vases, jars and rose-bowls, and went happily back to the business of decoration.
He remained very busy for half an hour or more, filling the vases at her bath-tub, clipping stems, trimming too profuse foliage, arranging the sheaves of fragrant bloom, and carrying each vase to its proper place in the three rooms.
When he had finished, and on his way out, he stopped to speak to Hattie at the dining-room door:
“Please ask Miss Odell to call me up when she returns,” he said. “I suppose she has gone to the studio,” he added.
“I don’t know, suh. Miss Eris’ husband he stayed here las’ night. I reckon she’s payin’ him a call, maybe.”