“Don’t you sing, Hashknife?” Laura turned on the stool and looked at Hashknife.
“Yeah, I sing—sometimes.”
“Come and sing us a song.”
“No-o-o-o, I don’t think so, Laura. I’m what you’d call an absent-minded singer. I never sing when I know just what I’m doin’.”
“Joe used to sing,” said Peggy simply.
“And he had a good voice, too,” added Laura.
There was a long period of silence. Finally Hashknife got to his feet and stood there for a long time, deep in thought. The two girls watched him curiously. Suddenly he looked at them, and a smile spread across his face.
“I just got some good news,” he said.
“You got some good news?” Laura got up from the stool and stared at him. “How could you get some good news?”
Hashknife laughed softly and sat down again.