But the affair with Crooms was the most prolonged and serious. He was even known to have bought her a pair of shoes.
Mrs. Laura Crooms was a meek little woman who took all of her troubles crying, and talked a great deal of leaving things in the hands of God.
The affair came to a head one night in orange picking time. Crooms was over at Oneido picking oranges. Many fruit pickers move from one town to the other during the season.
The town was collected at the store-postoffice as is customary on Saturday nights. The town has had its bath and with its week’s pay in pocket fares forth to be merry. The men tell stories and treat the ladies to soda-water, peanuts and peppermint candy.
Daisy was trying to get treats, but the porch was cold to her that night.
“Ah don’t keer if you don’t treat me. What’s a dirty lil nickel?” She flung this at Walter Thomas. “The everloving Mister Crooms will gimme anything atall Ah wants.”
“You better shet up yo’ mouf talking ’bout Albert Crooms. Heah his wife comes right now.”
Daisy went akimbo. “Who? Me! Ah don’t keer whut Laura Crooms think. If she ain’t a heavy hip-ted Mama enough to keep him, she don’t need to come crying to me.”
She stood making goo-goo eyes as Mrs. Crooms walked upon the porch. Daisy laughed loud, made several references to Albert Crooms, and when she saw the mail-bag come in from Maitland she said, “Ah better go in an’ see if Ah ain’t got a letter from Oneido.”
The more Daisy played the game of getting Mrs. Crooms’ goat, the better she liked it. She ran in and out of the store laughing until she could scarcely stand. Some of the people present began to talk to Mrs. Crooms—to egg her on to halt Daisy’s boasting, but she was for leaving it all in the hands of God. Walter Thomas kept on after Mrs. Crooms until she stiffened and resolved to fight. Daisy was inside when she came to this resolve and never dreamed anything of the kind could happen. She had gotten hold of an envelope and came laughing and shouting, “Oh, Ah can’t stand to see Oneido lose!”