Old Hon and the step-mother alone talked at
first, and the others, even Loretta, said never a word.
"Jack Hale must have been in a mighty big hurry," quavered the old
step-mother. "June ain't goin' to be with us long, I'm afeerd:"
and, without looking up, June knew the wireless significance of
the speech was going around from eye to eye, but calmly she pulled
her thread through a green pod and said calmly, with a little
enigmatical shake of her head:
"I--don't know--I don't know."
Young Dave's mother was encouraged and all her efforts at good-
humour could not quite draw the sting of a spiteful plaint from
her voice.
"I reckon she'd never git away, if my boy Dave had the sayin' of
it." There was a subdued titter at this, but Bub had come in from
the stable and had dropped on the edge of the porch. He broke in
hotly:
"You jest let June alone, Aunt Tilly, you'll have yo' hands full
if you keep yo' eye on Loretty thar."
Already when somebody was saying something about the feud, as June
came around the corner, her quick eye had seen Loretta bend her
head swiftly over her work to hide the flush of her face.
Pages:
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319