Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

38 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “My, don’t he talk jest grand?” she crooned, ‘“ Like it goes in books.” And, mincing across to George’s place, she would have dropped. yet another lump of sugar in his teacup had he not hastily forestalled her by placing his left hand over it. The right hand meanwhile had been re- luctantly accepted by the dazed Ernest. There was no warmth in his clasp, but George more than made up for this, pump- ing his arm up and down with the utmost cordiality. ‘ Seems wonderful to find both sister and brother,” he sighed gustily. “[ can see we’re gonna be good shipmates! Grand times we’ll have together winter evenin’s, poppin’ corn and drinkin’ our mugs of cider, and spinnin’ yarns.” “He reseated himself, and Ernest col- lapsed sulkily into his chair and began viciously tucking his napkin under his col- lar. A diversion was caused at this moment by the entrance of the hired man, Jake Lum- mis. He was a little, scared looking old chap, with a short beard, which seemed to grow in all directions. His weak chin was a maze of cowlicks, and his longish hair fell over the collar of his flannel shirt. He crossed the kitchen with only a flicker of his eyes toward the table, toward a tin basin of water standing on the sink shelf, where he washed his hands, passed them through his hair, wiped on a roller towel and seated himself at the table. In the Sproul household the ancient tra- ditions held. The hired help ate with the family; except that so long as she was needed to serve, Jennie moved between stove and table. Now, with the arrival of Jake, she set out some more potatoes, filled the hired man’s cup, and seated herself. The family circle was complete; and for a brief spell only the tinkle of tableware against crockery, the action of strong teeth, ' disturbed the silence. Ernest, having swallowed half of his plateful of pork scraps and potato in an absent-minded way far from his usual zest, was the first to break the silence. “How’d you come to know him?” he asked, his eyes on Ellen’s. Her brows lifted slightly. “‘ Know him? Know my own brother? As if a body doesn’t always know her own kin!” Ernest grunted. “ Let’s see; how long is it since he skedaddled? Matter of thirty year, huh? Reckon he must of changed considerable since you see him. Folks that recall him have told me he was quite a good lookin’ young feller!” George laid down his knife and glared balefully at his brother-in-law by adoption. “Wot’s the matter of my looks now?” he asked. ‘‘ And wot’s a miserable little half portion like you got to say about looks, anyhow?” Quite surprisingly the hired man, who had not opened his mouth up to this time except for the normal business of taking in victuals, broke out into a startling “ Haw, haw!” Ernest glared at him, then at George. “After all,’ he remarked, not without a certain dignity, ‘‘ let it be remembered that I am the head of this family!” But George refused to be impressed. “Td say you was the tail—and that tail’s liable to get itself twisted if my temper’s roused!”’ ‘Now, William,” soothed his _ sister, “let this first family meal together be an occasion of peace. This is a happy day for me, and I don’t want it spoiled.” “Aw right,” agreed her _ brother. “ Speakin’ of peace, gimme another piece of that there custard pie.” Jennie eagerly replenished his plate, and without further wrangling, or indeed with talk of any sort, the supper was finished and chairs pushed back. A fire blazed on the hearth of the sitting room, and Ernest, Ellen, and George be- took themselves thither, leaving the hired man and Jennie to do up the dishes in the kitchen. A solemnly ticking grandfather’s clock announced the hour of eight; before the fire dozed an enormous tiger-striped cat. It was a peaceful and homy room in which the pseudo William found himself, and he settled into a Windsor rocker with a sigh of content and began filling his pipe. Between him and Ernest sat Ellen, some mending in her lap.