Lovey Mary | Page 7

an oracle, acquiesced heartily.
"All right: that's fixed. Now I'll go home an' send you all over some
nice, hot supper by Billy, an' to-morrow mornin' will be time enough to
think things out."
Lovey Mary, too exhausted to mind the dirt, ate her supper off a broken
plate, then climbed over behind Tommy and the flour-sifter, and was
soon fast asleep.
The business meeting next morning "to think things out" resulted
satisfactorily. At first Mrs. Wiggs was inclined to ask questions and
find out where the children came from, but when she saw Lovey Mary's
evident distress and embarrassment, she accepted the statement that
they were orphans and that the girl was seeking work in order to take
care of herself and the boy. It had come to be an unwritten law in the
Cabbage Patch that as few questions as possible should be asked of
strangers. People had come there before who could not give clear
accounts of themselves.
"Now I'll tell you what I think'll be best," said Mrs. Wiggs, who
enjoyed untangling snarls. "Asia kin take Mary up to the fact'ry with
her to-morrow, an' see if she kin git her a job. I 'spect she kin, 'cause
she stands right in with the lady boss. Miss Hazy, me an' you kin keep
a' eye on the baby between us. If Mary gits a place she kin pay you so
much a week, an' that'll help us all out, 'cause then we won't have to
send in so many outside victuals. If she could make three dollars an'
Chris three, you all could git along right peart."
Lovey Mary stayed in the house most of the day. She was almost afraid
to look out of the little window, for fear she should see Miss Bell or
Kate Rider coming. She sat in the only chair that had a bottom and
diligently worked buttonholes for Miss Hazy.

"Looks like there ain't never no time to clean up," said Miss Hazy,
apologetically, as she shoved Chris's Sunday clothes and a can of
coal-oil behind the door.
Lovey Mary looked about her and sighed deeply. The room was
brimful and spilling over: trash, tin cans, and bottles overflowed the
window- sills; a crippled rocking-chair, with a faded quilt over it, stood
before the stove, in the open oven of which Chris's shoe was drying; an
old sewing-machine stood in the middle of the floor, with Miss Hazy's
sewing on one end of it and the uncleared dinner-dishes on the other.
Mary could not see under the bed, but she knew from the day's
experience that it was used as a combination store-room and wardrobe.
She thought of the home with its bare, clean rooms and its spotless
floors. She rose abruptly and went out to the rear of the house, where
Tommy was playing with Europena Wiggs. They were absorbed in
trying to hitch the duck to a spool-box, and paid little attention to her.
"Tommy," she said, clutching his arm, "don't you want to go back?"
But Tommy had tasted freedom; he had had one blissful day unwashed,
uncombed, and uncorrected.
"No," he declared stoutly; "I'm doin' to stay to this house and play wiv
You're-a-peanut."
"Then," said Mary, with deep resignation, "the only thing for me to do
is to try to clean things up."
When she went back into the house she untied her bundle and took out
the remaining dollar.
"I'll be back soon," she said to Miss Hazy as she stepped over a basket
of potatoes. "I'm just going over to Mrs. Wiggs's a minute."
She found her neighbor alone, getting supper. "Please, ma'am,"--she
plunged into her subject at once,--"have any of your girls a dress for
sale? I've got a dollar to buy it."

Mrs. Wiggs turned the girl around and surveyed her critically. "Well, I
don't know as I blame you fer wantin' to git shut of that one. There ain't
more 'n room enough fer one leg in that skirt, let alone two. An' what
was the sense in them big shiny buttons?"
"I don't know as it makes much difference," said Lovey Mary,
disconsolately; "I'm so ugly, nothing could make me look nice."
Mrs. Wiggs shook her by the shoulders good-naturedly. "Now, here,"
she said, "don't you go an' git sorry fer yerself! That's one thing I can't
stand in nobody. There's always lots of other folks you kin be sorry fer
'stid of yerself. Ain't you proud you ain't got a harelip? Why, that one
thought is enough to keep me from ever gittin' sorry fer myself."
Mary laughed, and Mrs. Wiggs clapped her hands. "That's what yer
face needs--smiles! I never see anything make such a difference. But
now about the dress. Yes, indeed, Asia has got dresses to give