When Marcia came back, he was primed and ready to begin his declaration.
"Weather's been fine, ain't it?" he started out.
Marcia took up her sewing.
"Do you think so?" questioned she, raising her brows. "Seems to me we've had lots of rain and fog."
"Wal, yes, now you mention it I do recall a few thick days. Still, spring is comin'."
"I'd like to shingle the south ell this spring," announced Marcia, giving a disconcertingly practical twist to the conversation. "How many shingles do you suppose it would take?"
Eleazer frowned.
The dialogue was not proceeding along the lines he had mapped out.
Determined to fetter it and bring it back into the prescribed channels, he answered: