She could say nothing to this.
“Dancing any?”
“No. None.” She was wondering what to do with him. The choice appeared to lie between the stuffy parlor and this front porch. Within, the household would hear every word; out here the eyes of the Street would watch unrelentingly. With an impassive face and a little shrug, she remarked, indicating a stiff porch chair—
“Sit down, Jacob.”
“I'll take this,” said he, dropping down on the top step in the most conspicuous spot of all. And he smiled at her.
“You can't guess what brings me, Sue. First, I want you to run in town this evening.”
She shook her head, slowly.
“You'd better. It's an unusual event. It wouldn't do to miss it.”
Her eyes wandered toward the hall behind the screen door, then off to the row of wooden houses across the street.
“Nevertheless,” said she, “it's going to be missed, Jacob.”