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Page 33
"Well, yes," said Spindler, with a slight hesitation, "ye see, I'm
reckonin' to hev a kinder Christmas gatherin' of my"--he was about
to say "folks," but dismissed it for "relations," and finally
settled upon "relatives" as being more correct in a preacher's
house.
Mrs. Price thought it a very good idea. Christmas was the natural
season for the family to gather to "see who's here and who's there,
who's gettin' on and who isn't, and who's dead and buried. It was
lucky for them who were so placed that they could do so and be
joyful." Her invincible philosophy probably carried her past any
dangerous recollections of the lonely grave in Kansas, and holding
up the stocking to the light, she glanced cheerfully along its
level to Mr. Spindler's embarrassed face by the fire.
"Well, I can't say much ez to that," responded Spindler, still
awkwardly, "for you see I don't know much about it anyway."
"How long since you've seen 'em?" asked Mrs. Price, apparently
addressing herself to the stocking.
Spindler gave a weak laugh. "Well, you see, ef it comes to that,
I've never seen 'em!"
Mrs. Price put the stocking in her lap and opened her direct eyes
on Spindler. "Never seen 'em?" she repeated. "Then, they're not
near relations?"
"There are three cousins," said Spindler, checking them off on his
fingers, "a half-uncle, a kind of brother-in-law,--that is, the
brother of my sister-in-law's second husband,--and a niece. That's
six."
"But if you've not seen them, I suppose they've corresponded with
you?" said Mrs. Price.
"They've nearly all of 'em written to me for money, seeing my name
in the paper ez hevin' made a strike," returned Spindler simply;
"and hevin' sent it, I jest know their addresses."
"Oh!" said Mrs. Price, returning to the stocking.
Something in the tone of her ejaculation increased Spindler's
embarrassment, but it also made him desperate. "You see, Mrs.
Price," he blurted out, "I oughter tell ye that I reckon they are
the folks that 'hevn't got on,' don't you see, and so it seemed
only the square thing for me, ez had 'got on,' to give them a sort
o' Christmas festival. Suthin', don't ye know, like what your
brother-in-law was sayin' last Sunday in the pulpit about this yer
peace and goodwill 'twixt man and man."
Mrs. Price looked again at the man before her. His sallow,
perplexed face exhibited some doubt, yet a certain determination,
regarding the prospect the quotation had opened to him. "A very
good idea, Mr. Spindler, and one that does you great credit," she
said gravely.
"I'm mighty glad to hear you say so, Mrs. Price," he said, with an
accent of great relief, "for I reckoned to ask you a great favor!
You see," he fell into his former hesitation, "that is--the fact
is--that this sort o' thing is rather suddent to me,--a little
outer my line, don't you see, and I was goin' to ask ye ef you'd
mind takin' the hull thing in hand and runnin it for me."
"Running it for you," said Mrs. Price, with a quick eye-shot from
under the edge of her lashes. "Man alive! What are you thinking
of?"
"Bossin' the whole job for me," hurried on Spindler, with nervous
desperation. "Gettin' together all the things and makin' ready for
'em,--orderin' in everythin' that's wanted, and fixin' up the
rooms,--I kin step out while you're doin' it,--and then helpin' me
receivin' 'em, and sittin' at the head o' the table, you know,--
like ez ef you was the mistress."
"But," said Mrs. Price, with her frank laugh, "that's the duty of
one of your relations,--your niece, for instance,--or cousin, if
one of them is a woman."
"But," persisted Spindler, "you see, they're strangers to me; I
don't know 'em, and I do you. You'd make it easy for 'em,--and for
me,--don't you see? Kinder introduce 'em,--don't you know? A
woman of your gin'ral experience would smooth down all them little
difficulties," continued Spindler, with a vague recollection of the
Kansas story, "and put everybody on velvet. Don't say 'No,' Mrs.
Price! I'm just kalkilatin' on you."
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