"Hoity! Toity! What airs for a beggar's brat! I'd have you to know, young man, that when I ax a civil question, I cac'late to git a civil answer!" Which calculation, however, miscarried.
Over near the barn he met another woman who asked:
"I say! You be the boy as lives here, be'ant you?"
"Yes, I live here," replied Leon.
"Well! I hearn as how Miss Grath hed some white ducks, so nigh as big 's geese, thet a body couldn't tell one from t'other. Now I've sarched the hull place lookin' fer them ducks, but bless me ef I kin find a feather on 'em. I seen a fine flock o' geese in the orchard, but I want you to show me them ducks. I'm jest achin' to see em."
"The flock in the orchard are the ducks; we have no geese," explained
Leon.
"You don't mean it!" rejoined the woman, much astounded. "So them geese is the ducks! Land alive! And I took 'em for geese. Well, I never! To think I couldn't tell one from t'other! I mus' git another peak at 'em." Then she hurried away towards the orchard.
Over by the barn a man was coming out from the horse stalls, with an old leather strap in his hand, when he was suddenly confronted by the stern visage of Miss Matilda Grath, spinster. Before he found words of greeting, she burst forth in wrathful tones:
"Jeremiah Hubbard, whatever do you mean by stealin' other folks' property, right before their very eyes?"
"Stealin', Miss Grath? Me steal? You mus' be losin your senses. Hain't ye?"