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"I will certainly come down and see the poor little thing," promised Janice. "And your mamma and Johnnie and Eddie. Is your father at home now?" "Nop. He's up in Concannon's woods yet. They've took a new contrac' him and Mr. Trimmins. An' mebbe it'll last all Summer. Dear me! I hope so. Then pop won't be home to drink up all the money mom earns."
"Vat yer vant is sumthink that makes blood an' stands by von," she had said; "an' this 'ere salt, dry stuff an' light baker's bread and tea and coffee don't do this hat hall. They's good henough as relishes an' trimmins an' roundins hoff, but they hain't got the nourishin' in 'em that vorking people vants. Buy hoat meal an' corn meal make good bread of yer hown.
To-be-sure, college only puts the trimmins' on, but if you've got a Christian business man, what's all man to begin with, they sure do put him in shape; an' I reckon the best 'aint none too good for God. But after all, it's mighty comfortin' for such old, uneducated sticks as me to know that 'taint the trimmings the good Father looks at.
"Got a job, Jim?" asked Trimmins, after thanking Janice for the ride, and getting out of the automobile. "Not a smitch of work since I come out of the woods," admitted the bewhiskered man, rising quickly from the stoop to make way for Janice. "Come on, old feller," said Trimmins. "I want to talk to you. If you are favorable inclined, I reckon I got jest the job you've been lookin' for."
But not one penny do you nor they handle till the job is finished." "That's all right, Elder," drawled the Georgian. "That's 'cordin' to contrac', I know. I don't keer for myself. But Narnay and that other feller are mighty hongree for a li'le change." "Powerful thirsty, ye mean!" snorted the elder. "Wa-al mebbe so! mebbe so!" agreed Trimmins, with a weak grin.
Janice, remembering the condition of the ex-drug clerk when he left Polktown for the woods, said heartily: "I should think she would be worried." "She tells me he tried to get back his job with Massey on Friday night the evening before he went off with Trimmins and Narnay. But I expect he'd got Mr. Massey pretty well disgusted. At any rate, the druggist turned him down, and turned him down hard."
He got his money that way by 'littles and dribbles' and I fancy he thinks small pay is all right." "My glo-ree! You bet he does!" said Trimmins. "But the elder never had but one leastways, two chillen to raise. He wouldn't ha' got rich very fast with my family no, sir!" "Perhaps that is so," Janice admitted.
Then, with sudden curiosity, she added: "What has that drug clerk got to do with the janitor of the school building?" "He's Benny's brother-in-law. But Jack's left town, I hear." "He's gone with Trimmins and Narnay into the woods," Janice said thoughtfully. "So he's out of it," grumbled Marty.
"I wonder," sighed Aunt Almira, quite unconscious that she spoke aloud, "if I kin turn that old black alpaca gown I got when Sister Susie died, Jason, an' fashion it after one o' the new models?" "Heh?" grunted the startled Mr. Day, glaring at her. "Of course, we'll hafter go inter black it's only decent. But I did fancy a plum-colored dress this Spring, with r'yal purple trimmins.
"How are those men getting on in your wood lot, Elder?" "What men and what lot?" he asked smiling. "I don't know what lot it is; but I mean Mr. Trimmins and those others." "Oh! Trimmins and Jim Narnay and that Besmith boy?" "Yes." "Why, they are moving on slowly. This is their third job with me since Winter. Once or twice they've kicked over the traces and gone on a spree "
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