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Page 68
Not wishing to appear embarrassed, she floundered on with her
speech, though in reality she hardly knew what she was saying.
"Well, upon my soul!" exclaimed the red-faced gentleman, in a
loud, deep voice, "here's a pretty kettle of fish. Young ladies
peddling extract at decent people's houses!" He glared at the
girls with a ferocious expression, and then went on, in even
louder tones: "What do you MEAN by such doings? Have you a
license? Don't you know that people who sell goods without a
license must be arrested? I've a notion to clap every one of you
in jail!"
As might have been expected, Stella began to cry, while Midge and
Molly gazed at the red-faced old man as if fascinated. They wanted
to run away, but something in his look held them there; and,
anyway, they couldn't go and leave Stella, who had dropped in a
little heap on the floor of the piazza and hidden her face in her
arms, while convulsive sobs shook her slender little frame.
At sight of Stella's tears, a sudden and wonderful change seemed
to come over the old gentleman. His ferocious expression gave way
to an anxious smile, and, stooping, he picked Stella up in his
arms, saying: "There, there, baby! don't be frightened; that was
only my joking. Why, bless your heart, I wasn't a mite in earnest.
There, there, now, don't cry; I'll buy all your extract,--every
single drop,--and pay any price you want; and I'll give you back
all the bottles, and all the baskets, and all the extract, too, if
you want it, and some lovely peaches into the bargain! There,
brace up now, and forgive your old Uncle Bill for teasing you so!
Jail, indeed! I'll take you into the house instead, and find some
plum-cake for you!"
Carrying Stella in his big, strong arms, the strange old gentleman
ushered Midge and Molly into the house and made straight for the
dining-room.
"Folks all gone away," he went on, still in his gruff, deep tones,
but somehow they now sounded very kind; "gone away for an all-day
picnic, and left me alone to shift for myself. Jolly glad to have
company--jolly glad to entertain you. Here's peaches, here's cake.
Have a glass of milk?"
The old man bustled around and seemed so anxious to dispel the
unpleasant impression he had made at first that Molly and Midge
met him halfway, and beamed happily as they accepted the pleasant
refreshments he set out.
"Fall to, fall to," he said, rubbing his big hands together, as he
watched the children do justice to the feast.
The girls suddenly discovered that they were both tired and
hungry, and the old gentleman's hospitality put them in a much
pleasanter frame of mind.
"Now, what's all this about pineapple extract?" he inquired. "I
didn't half get the hang of it, and I was only joking you when you
all seemed to get scared to death."
So Marjorie told him the whole story from the beginning and asked
his opinion as to the wisdom of the plan.
The old man's eyes twinkled. "I've nothing to say about that," he
replied, "but I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll buy your whole
stock of pennyroyal tea,--or whatever it is,--and I'll pay you ten
dollars for the lot. It isn't a question of what the stuff is
worth in itself, but a question of its value to me; and I'll rate
that at ten dollars, and here's your money. You can spend it
yourselves, or give it to your poor people, whichever you like."
"Of course we'll give it to the Dunns," declared Marjorie, "that
is, if we take it, but I'm not sure that we ought to take it."
"Go 'long," cried the old man; "take it? Of course you'll take it!
and give those children a feast or something. I know you, little
Miss Curly Head, you're Steve Sherwood's niece, aren't you?"
"Yes," said Marjorie; "do you know Uncle Steve?"
"Know him? I should say I did! You just tell your Uncle Steve that
old Bill Wallingford wanted to make a contribution to charity and
he took this way! Now, little ladies, if you think you've enough
for one day, nothing will give me greater pleasure than to hitch
up and take you home."
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