Seventeen [61]
admitted, resuming his work with the freezer. ``Seem like I rickalect SOMEBODY got name good deal like what I say, 'cause some mighty blue-vein names at 'at dinnuh-potty, yessuh! But I on'y git to be 'nouncer one time, 'cause Fanny tellin' me nex' fam'ly have dinnuh-potty make heap o' fun. Say I done my 'nouncin' GOOD, but say what's use holler'n' names jes' fer some the neighbors or they own aunts an' uncles to walk in, when ev'y- body awready knows 'em? So Fanny pummote me to waituh, an' I roun' right in amongs' big doin's mos' ev'y night. Pass ice-cream, lemonade, lemon-ice, cake, samwitches. `Lemme han' you li'l' mo' chicken salad, ma'am'--` 'Low me be so kine as to git you f'esh cup coffee, suh'--'S way ole Genesis talkin' ev'y even' 'ese days!''
Jane looked at him thoughtfully. ``Do you like it better than cuttin' grass, Genesis?'' she asked.
He paused to consider. ``Yes'm--when ban' play all lem TUNES! My goo'ness, do soun' gran'!''
``You can't do it to-night, though, Genesis,'' said Jane. ``You haf to be quiet on Sunday nights, don't you?''
``Yes'm. 'Ain' got no mo' kaytun till nex' Friday even'.''
``Oh, I bet that's the party for Miss Pratt at Mr. Parcher's!'' Jane cried. ``Didn't I guess right?''
``Yes'm. I reckon I'm a-go'n' a see one you' fam'ly 'at night; see him dancin'--wait on him at ref'eshmuns.''
Jane's expression became even more serious than usual. ``Willie? I don't know whether he's goin', Genesis.''
``Lan' name!'' Genesis exclaimed. ``He die ef he don' git INvite to 'at ball!''
``Oh, he's invited,'' said Jane. ``Only I think maybe he won't go.''
``My goo'ness! Why ain' he goin'?''
Jane looked at her friend studiously before replying. ``Well, it's a secret,'' she said, finally, ``but it's a very inter'sting one, an' I'll tell you if you never tell.''
``Yes'm, I ain' tellin' nobody.''
Jane glanced round, then stepped a little closer and told the secret with the solemnity it deserved. ``Well, when Miss Pratt first came to visit Miss May Parcher, Willie used to keep papa's evening clo'es in his window-seat, an' mamma wondered what HAD become of 'em. Then, after dinner, he'd slip up there an' put 'em on him, an' go out through the kitchen an' call on Miss Pratt. Then mamma found 'em, an' she thought he oughtn't to do that, so she didn't tell him or anything, an' she didn't even tell papa, but she had the tailor make 'em ever an' ever so much bigger, 'cause they were gettin' too tight for papa. An' well, so after that, even if Willie could get 'em out o' mamma's clo'es-closet where she keeps 'em now, he'd look so funny in 'em he couldn't wear 'em. Well, an' then he couldn't go to pay calls on Miss Pratt in the evening since then, because mamma says after he started to go there in that suit he couldn't go without it, or maybe Miss Pratt or the other ones that's in love of her would think it was pretty queer, an' maybe kind of expeck it was papa's all the time. Mamma says she thinks Willie must have worried a good deal over reasons to say why he'd always go in the daytime after that, an' never came in the evening, an' now they're goin' to have this party, an' she says he's been gettin' paler and paler every day since he heard about it. Mamma says he's pale SOME because Miss Pratt's goin' away, but she thinks it's a good deal more because, well, if he would wear those evening clo'es just to go CALLIN', how would it be to go to that PARTY an' not have any! That's what mamma thinks--an', Genesis, you promised you'd never tell as long as you live!''
``Yes'm. _I_ ain' tellin','' Genesis chuckled. ``I'm a-go'n' agit me one nem waituh suits befo' long, myse'f, so's I kin quit wearin' 'at ole Henry Gimlet suit what b'long to Fanny, an' have me a privut suit o' my own. They's a secon'-han' sto' ovuh on the avynoo, where they got swaller- tail suits all way f'um sevum dolluhs to nineteem dolluhs an' ninety-eight cents. I'm a--''
Jane started, interrupting him. `` 'SH!'' she whispered, laying a finger warningly upon her lips.
William had entered
Jane looked at him thoughtfully. ``Do you like it better than cuttin' grass, Genesis?'' she asked.
He paused to consider. ``Yes'm--when ban' play all lem TUNES! My goo'ness, do soun' gran'!''
``You can't do it to-night, though, Genesis,'' said Jane. ``You haf to be quiet on Sunday nights, don't you?''
``Yes'm. 'Ain' got no mo' kaytun till nex' Friday even'.''
``Oh, I bet that's the party for Miss Pratt at Mr. Parcher's!'' Jane cried. ``Didn't I guess right?''
``Yes'm. I reckon I'm a-go'n' a see one you' fam'ly 'at night; see him dancin'--wait on him at ref'eshmuns.''
Jane's expression became even more serious than usual. ``Willie? I don't know whether he's goin', Genesis.''
``Lan' name!'' Genesis exclaimed. ``He die ef he don' git INvite to 'at ball!''
``Oh, he's invited,'' said Jane. ``Only I think maybe he won't go.''
``My goo'ness! Why ain' he goin'?''
Jane looked at her friend studiously before replying. ``Well, it's a secret,'' she said, finally, ``but it's a very inter'sting one, an' I'll tell you if you never tell.''
``Yes'm, I ain' tellin' nobody.''
Jane glanced round, then stepped a little closer and told the secret with the solemnity it deserved. ``Well, when Miss Pratt first came to visit Miss May Parcher, Willie used to keep papa's evening clo'es in his window-seat, an' mamma wondered what HAD become of 'em. Then, after dinner, he'd slip up there an' put 'em on him, an' go out through the kitchen an' call on Miss Pratt. Then mamma found 'em, an' she thought he oughtn't to do that, so she didn't tell him or anything, an' she didn't even tell papa, but she had the tailor make 'em ever an' ever so much bigger, 'cause they were gettin' too tight for papa. An' well, so after that, even if Willie could get 'em out o' mamma's clo'es-closet where she keeps 'em now, he'd look so funny in 'em he couldn't wear 'em. Well, an' then he couldn't go to pay calls on Miss Pratt in the evening since then, because mamma says after he started to go there in that suit he couldn't go without it, or maybe Miss Pratt or the other ones that's in love of her would think it was pretty queer, an' maybe kind of expeck it was papa's all the time. Mamma says she thinks Willie must have worried a good deal over reasons to say why he'd always go in the daytime after that, an' never came in the evening, an' now they're goin' to have this party, an' she says he's been gettin' paler and paler every day since he heard about it. Mamma says he's pale SOME because Miss Pratt's goin' away, but she thinks it's a good deal more because, well, if he would wear those evening clo'es just to go CALLIN', how would it be to go to that PARTY an' not have any! That's what mamma thinks--an', Genesis, you promised you'd never tell as long as you live!''
``Yes'm. _I_ ain' tellin','' Genesis chuckled. ``I'm a-go'n' agit me one nem waituh suits befo' long, myse'f, so's I kin quit wearin' 'at ole Henry Gimlet suit what b'long to Fanny, an' have me a privut suit o' my own. They's a secon'-han' sto' ovuh on the avynoo, where they got swaller- tail suits all way f'um sevum dolluhs to nineteem dolluhs an' ninety-eight cents. I'm a--''
Jane started, interrupting him. `` 'SH!'' she whispered, laying a finger warningly upon her lips.
William had entered