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It bound him not to sell, barter, trade, exchange, deal, or in any way to derive a profit from the handling of groceries, dry goods, notions, millinery, clothing, and gent's furnishings. It contained no hidden pitfalls, and Scattergood was satisfied. He signed his name and thrust the roll of bills into his pocket.... Then he picked up his mop and went to work as hard as ever.
It was an hour before Elder Newton descended, his son on one side and Mattie Strong on the other.... The band, with a volunteer drummer, lifted its joyous voice, and, looking up, the trio faced a banner upon which Scattergood had caused to be painted, "Welcome Home, Mavin Newton." Coldriver had taken judicial action and thus voiced its decision.
Another had raised the covers of her geography like a screen, and was busily engaged in writing a letter behind it, on robin's-egg-blue paper. At the far end of the room the teacher, Miss Scattergood, sat at her flat-topped desk. "That old maid," as Marty had called her, was not at all the sort of a person in appearance, at least that Janice expected her to be.
"'Rill was fullish enough to put the money she'd saved inter a mortgage that pays her only five per cent. An' ter git th' int'rest is like pullin' eye-teeth, and I tell her she never will see the principal ag'in." Mrs. Scattergood neglected to state that she had urged her daughter to put her money in this mortgage.
"Yes," she said, faintly. "What if he did?" said Scattergood. "I don't know.... Oh, I don't know." "Want he should come back?" "He If he should come " "Uh-huh!" said Scattergood. "Calc'late I kin appreciate your feelin's. Treated you mighty bad, didn't he?" "He treated himself worse," said Mattie, with a little awakening of sharpness. "So he done.
"Seems like you was goin' to do a favor for me. Well, you hain't done it yet.... Guess I need a favor perty bad at this minute, eh? Wa-al, 'tain't a big one. Jest sort of cast your eye over this here." Scattergood handed Castle a folded paper of documentary appearance. Castle snatched it and read it. It was brief. Not more than fifty words.
Hopewell always said that "Mother Scattergood should have the run of the store, and take what she pleased," now that he had married 'Rill; and, although the woman was not above maligning her easy-going son-in-law, she did not refuse to avail herself of his generosity. "An' there it is!" went on Mrs. Scattergood.
Scattergood Baines, as he sat with shirt open at the throat, his huge body sagged down in the chair that had been especially reinforced to sustain his weight, seemed to passing Coldriver village to be drowsing. Many people suspected Scattergood of drowsing when he was exceedingly wide awake and observant of events. It was part of his stock in trade.
Won't cost you nothin' to try it, and I'm curious to see if it works as good as they say." Landers was willing. It worked better. Landers regarded the machine longingly, and spoke of price. Scattergood disclosed it. "Hain't got it and can't afford it," said Landers. "Might afford a swap?" "Might. What you got in mind?"
That day Jason drove back to town with Scattergood. "Likely-lookin' girl Seliny," observed Scattergood. "Beautiful," said the parson, and Scattergood grinned. "Um!... Single ministers is a menace. Yes, sir, churches has busted up on account of their ministers not bein' married." There was no reply. "But I calculate you're different. You're jest made and created to be an old batch.
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