"And now," says the man, getting through with that, "what can you bring us while we wait? Some peaches?"
"The orchard," says Joe, "is rotten wid peaches."
"Good," says the man. "Now we understand each other. If mademoiselle will excuse me, we will set the coffee on its way."
I set and waited, thinking how funny it was for a man to make the coffee. All Pa ever done in his life to help about the cooking was to clean the fish.
I went and played with a kitten, so's not to have to talk to Joe. I didn't know what I might say to him. When I come back the table was laid with a nice clean cloth and napkins that were ironed good and dishes with little flowers on. When the woman come out to the well, I ask' her if I could pick some phlox for the table. She laughed and said yes, if I wanted to. So I got some, all pink. I was just bringing it when the man come back.
"Stand there, just for a minute," he says.
I done like he told me, by the door of the arbor. I thought he was going to say something nice, and I hoped I'd think of something smart and sassy to say back to him. But all he says was just:
"Thank you. Now, come and sit down, please."
We fixed the flowers. Then Joe brought a basket of beautiful peaches, and we took what we wanted. The man took one, and sat touching it with the tips of his fingers, and he looked over at me with a nice smile.
"And now, my child," he says, "tell me your name."