Of course I aint had no chance to ask Mr. Edgerton about it because he aint called me up again so I am just waiting. The girls in the Elite Beauty Parlors they seen I had something on my mind and Ada Huggins, she says, “What’s the matter Mame you seem sort of deestraight.” You see since she has changed her name to Adaire she is always trying to use French words and I do sure hate affected people.
I says, “I have got important matters to occupy my mind and I have not got no time for idle chatter,” I says. And she says, “Well now will you listen to that, of all the airs! Who do you think you are the Spokesman up in the big white house?” “You are getting warm,” I says but of course I didn’t say no more because it is what Mr. Edgerton calls a state secret that I am helping him.
P. S. Well, I went home thinking about that mysterious lady that has been to call on me and that I am pretty sure is Mrs. Edgerton. And Mrs. Budd my landlady says she aint come again. She is awful curious about such a great lady coming to see a girl that has got the cheapest room in her house and she says, “Is it some lost aunt of yours dearie?” But I says, “It is just a friend I think.”
She says, “You could talk to her in my parlor if you like.” And of course I know that is just so that she can listen in but what can I do can I expect a visitor to climb four flights of stairs and where could I put her in this room that is only six by eight and I have to shove the oil stove and what is left of my dinner under the bed before I can get to the door. So I says, “Thank you very kindly.” And she says, “I will call you if she comes and you can come down.” I says, “Do please and keep her entertained while I am getting my curl-papers off.”
You see I wanted to fix myself as decent as I could so as not to shame Mr. Edgerton too much for knowing me. So I wash my face and put my hair up to curl and I get my supper of potato chips and pickles in a hurry and I am just in the middle of getting it down with my new dress I have took off all over the bed when I hear a step in the hall and there comes a knock on the door and I think of course it is Mrs. Budd and I says, “Come in,” and the door opens and my God there she is!
Well Mom you could of knocked me over with an orange stick. I just stand there with half a dill pickle in my mouth and the other half in my hand and stare at her like a boob. It is the same lady that I seen getting out of the electric coop with Mr. Edgerton and she has got on the same squirrel-skin coat and all. She wouldn’t have to be a very big lady to seem awful big standing in the doorway and she is red from climbing the stairs and there is red in her eyes too she gives me the glare and holds herself stiff and straight and gee Mom I feel like a worm must feel when it is going to be stepped on.
“Are you Miss Mamie Riggs?” she says and I gives a gulp at the pickle. “And so you are the woman that is going with my husband!” she says.
So then I see it is going to be a war and I thinks what kind? She has got me penned in a corner and there is just a window and no fire-escape and a long ways to the ground and she has got a big squirrel-skin muff that she holds in her left hand with her hand inside it and I thinks to myself there is your death Mamie Riggs because of course she must have a gun in that hand and gee Mom it sure makes your hair rise up to watch that muff and wonder what is going to happen will she let the muff fall and show the gun or will she shoot through the muff? But no she won’t be apt to do that because she won’t think no manicure girl worth spoiling a fine muff over. It is exactly like the big scene in a play you know how it is Mom only you really don’t because it is another thing altogether when it is real.
Well I have got the pickle out of the way and so I say real careful like, “I have the honor to be a friend of Mr. Edgerton,” I says. And then I have a sudden bright idea and I raise my voice and call, “Come in Mrs. Budd.” Then I listen and I say again louder yet, “Please come in Mrs. Budd.” For of course I know that she is not going to lose her chance to find out what is going on but will be at the door listening and sure enough the door opens kind of timid and I hear her voice behind the big lady, “Did you call me Miss Riggs?”