Henrietta Harrison horns into Piperock. Piperock takes a deep breath. Bad news travels fast, and it ain’t long before there’s a need of another hitch-rack in Piperock. Sam Holt runs the hotel—or thought he did; but Ma Holt got one look at Henrietta and shut up the book.
“Every room is taken,” says she.
“Who by, Ma?” asks old Sam.
“Me!”
“Ma’am,” says Magpie, “I reckon mebbe Mrs. Smith will take a boarder.”
Wick said she would. Wick locked up his store and took the valise in one hand and Henrietta’s elbow in the other, kinda rubbing Magpie and me out. We sat down on the sidewalk intending to speak unkindly to Wick when he came back, but Henrietta came back with him. Wick sets the valise down on the sidewalk.
“Ma said she was goin’ to have company, and won’t have no room.”
“This Summer?” asks Magpie.
“I ain’t no hand to argue,” says Wick.
Pete Gonyer comes over, and Magpie asks Pete about taking a boarder.