He aint goin to better himself much, said Almira. Eunice Emery aint fit to housekeep for a cat. The pie she took to the pie supper at the church was so tough that even Deacon Dyer couldnt eat it; and the boys got holt of her doughnuts, and declared they was goin fishin next day n use em for sinkers. She lives from hand to mouth Eunice Emery does. Shes about as much of a doshy as Rube is. Shell make tea thats strong enough to bear up an egg, most, and eat her doughnuts with it three times a day rather than take the trouble to walk out to the meat or the fish cart. I know for a fact she dont make riz bread once a year.
Mebbe her folks likes buttermilk bread best; some do, said the Widow Buzzell. My husband always said, give him buttermilk bread to work on. He used to say my riz bread was so light hed hev to tread on it to keep it anywheres; but when youd eat buttermilk bread he said youd got somethin that stayed by you; you knew where it was every time. For massy sake! theres the stage stoppin at the Hobsons door. I wonder if Rubes first wifes mother has come from Moderation? If t is, they must a made up their quarrel, for there was a time she wouldnt step foot over that doorsill. She must be goin to stay some time, for theres a trunk on the back o the stage. No, there aint nobody gettin out. Land, Hannah Sophia, dont push me clean through the glass! It beats me why they make winders so small that three people cant look out of em without crowdin. Aint that a wash-boiler hes handin down? Well, its a mercy; hes ben borrowin long enough!
What goes on after dark I aint responsible for, commented old Mrs. Bascom, but no new wash-boiler has gone into Rube Hobsons door in the daytime for many a year, and Ill be bound it means somethin. There goes a broom, too. Much sweepin hell get out o Eunice; its a slick n a promise with her!
When did you begin to suspicion this, Diademy? asked Almira Berry. Ive got as much faculty as the next one, but anybody that lives on the river road has just got to give up knowin anything. You cant keep runnin to the store every day, and if you could you dont find out much nowadays. Bill Peters dont take no more interest in his neighbors than a cow does in election.
I cant get mother Bascom to see it as I do, said Diadema, but for one thing shes ben carryin home bundles bout every other night for a month, though shes ben too smart to buy anythin here at this store. She had Packards horse to go to Saco last week. When she got home, jest at dusk, she drove int the barn, n bimeby Pitt Packard come to git his horse,t was her own buggy she went with. She looked over here when she went int the house, n she ketched my eye, though t was half a mile away, so she never took a thing in with her, but soon ast was dark she made three trips out to the barn with a lantern, n any fool could tell t her arms was full o pacels by the way she carried the lantern. The Hobsons and the Emerys have married one another more n once, as fur as that goes. I declare if I was goin to get married I should want to be relation to somebody besides my own folks.
The reason I can hardly credit it, said Hannah Sophia, is because Eunice never had a beau in her life, that I can remember of. Cyse Higgins set up with her for a spell, but it never amounted to nothin. It seems queer, too, for she was always so fond o seein men folks round that when Pitt Packard was shinglin her barn she used to go out nights n rip some o the shingles off, so t hed hev more days work on it.
I always said t was she that begun on Rube Hobson, not him on her, remarked the Widow Buzzell. Their land joinin made courtin come dretful handy. His critters used to git in her field bout every other day (I always suspicioned she broke the fence down herself), and then shed hev to go over and git him to drive em out. Shes wed his onion bed for him two summers, as I happen to know, for Ive been ou doors more n common this summer, tryin to fetch my constitution up. Diademy, dont you want to look out the back way n see if Rubes come home yet?
He aint, said old Mrs. Bascom, so you neednt look; cant you see the curtains is all down? Hes gone up to the Mills, n its my opinion hes gone to speak to the minister.
He hed somethin in the back o the wagon covered up with an old linen lap robe; t aint at all likely he d a hed that if hed ben goin to the ministers, objected Mrs. Jot.
Anybodyd think you was born yesterday, to hear you talk, Diademy, retorted her mother-in-law. When you ve set in one spots longs I hev, praps youll hev the use o your faculties! Men folks has more n one way o gettin married, specially when they re ashamed of it. Well, I vow, theres the little Hobson girls comin out o the door this minute, n they re all dressed up, and Mote dont seem to be with em.
Every woman in the room rose to her feet, and Diadema removed her murderous eye from a fly which she had been endeavoring to locate for some moments.
I guess they re goin up to the church to meet their father n Eunice, poor little things, ventured the Widow Buzzell.
Praps they be, said old Mrs. Bascom sarcastically; praps they be goin to church, takin a three-quart tin pail n a brown paper bundle along with em. They re comin over the bridge, just as I sposed. Now, if they come past this house, you head em off, Almiry, n see if you can git some satisfaction out of em. They aint hardly old enough to hold their tongues.
An exciting interview soon took place in the middle of the road, and Almira reentered the room with the expression of one who had penetrated the inscrutable and solved the riddle of the Sphinx. She had been vouch-safed one of those gleams of light in darkness which almost dazzle the beholder.
Thats about the confirmingest thing Ive heern yet! she ejaculated, as she took off her shaker bonnet. They say theyre goin up to their aunt Hittys to stay two days. Theyre dressed in their best, clean to the skin, for I looked; n its their night gownds theyve got in the bundle. They say little Mote has gone to Union to stop all night with his uncle Abijah, n that leaves Rube all alone, for the smith girl that does his chores is home sick with the hives. And what do you spose is in the pail? Fruitcake,thats what t is, no more n no less! I knowed that Smith girl didnt bake it, n so I asked em, n they said Miss Emery give it to em. There was two little round try-cakes, baked in muffin-rings. Eunice hed took some o the batter out of a big loaf n baked it to se how it was goin to turn out. That means wedding-cake, or Im mistaken!
There aint no gittin round that, agreed the assembled company, now is there, Mis Bascom?
Old Mrs. Bascom wet her finger, smoothed the parting of her false front, and looked inscrutable.
I dont see why youre so secret, objected Diadema.
Ive got my opinions, and Ive had em some time, observed the good lady. I dont know s Im bound to tell em and have em held up to ridicule. Let the veal hang, I say. If any one of us is right, well all know to-morrow.
Well, all any of us has got to judge from is appearances, said Diadema, and how you can twist em one way, and us another, stumps me!