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"Whose kids?" she demanded, the familiar smile creeping back into her eyes, and her lips pursing dryly. "Yours?" "Oh, no," denied the man quickly. "Not mine. It's Zip's. Y'see, since his wife's lit out he's kind o' left with 'em. An' he's that fool-headed he don't know how to raise 'em proper. So I guessed I'd help him. Now, if you put me wise " "You help raise Zip's kids? Gee!"
"Ther' ain't nuthin' to beat a slap-up band," agreed the freighter politely. "But these yer harmoniums, they're kind o' cussed, some. Guess my ma had one some years back, but she traded it off fer a new cook-stove, with a line o' Chicago bacon thrown in. I won't say but she had the best o' the deal, too. Y'see that ther' harmonium had its drawbacks.
Bill asked a question or two while he led Casey to the latest model of Fords, just in from the factory. Casey took a chew of tobacco and explained. "Well, I had a bet up, y'see. That red-headed bartender in Pinnacle bet me a hundred dollars I couldn't beat my own record ten minutes on the trip down. I knowed I could, so I took him up on it.
As he glanced at the doorway it was darkened by a familiar figure. Sunny Oak, as ragged, disreputable and unclean as usual, smiled himself into the room. "Howdy, Zip?" he greeted genially. "Guessed I'd git around, seem' it was Sunday. Y'see, folks don't work any Sunday. I'd sure say it's a real blessin' folks is 'lowed to rest one day in seven.
"If you're stuck on kiddies, like me, it don't worry you nuthin'. Kind of makes it pleasant thinkin' how you can fix things fer 'em, don't it? But it sure ain't easy doing things just right. That's how I mean. An' don't it make you feel good when you do fix things right fer 'em? But I don't guess that comes often, though," he added, with a sigh. "Y'see, I'm kind of awkward.
Y'see, they kids needs nourishin', an' that orter fix them 'bout right. I don't know 'bout them new sides o' sow-belly Minky's jest had in. Seems to me they'll likely need teeth eatin' that. Seein' you ain't a heap at fixin' beans right, we best cut that line right out though I 'lows there's elegant nourishin' stuff in 'em for bosses. Best get a can o' crackers an' some cheese.
'And you'd better go, too, sir as I will when I've touched her off. Y'see, she's just as liable to explode as not, and, if she does, she'd make more mess in this trench than I can ever hope she will in a German one. The Colonel retired round the nearest traverse, and next moment the lieutenant plunged round after him just as the mortar went off with a resounding bang.
He would willingly have asked the question. But he remembered her written commission, signed by Elas Peterman. So he was left with no alternative but to yield the utmost respect. "Y'see, mam," he went on easily. "I guess I could talk quite a piece on this thing, but maybe you won't fancy my dope. Skandinavia's been badly spoilt by the cut in the Shagaunty Valley. You've seen it all.
Skinner on speaking terms with romance and failed. "Oh?" she said again. "Yes. Y'see, there was another man after me. Jog along, black mare. I'd been a widder so long folks had given up expecting me to marry again. But when my darter she's a schoolma'am like you went out West to teach I felt real lonesome and wasn't nowise sot against the idea.
He smiled quaintly and pushed his stubby fingers through his sparse hair in his most helpless manner. "If there was gold on my claim, I'd let you in all you need, and I wouldn't want your dollars. Dollars? No, Bill, I don't want dollars for doing anything for you. I sure don't. I mean that. Maybe you'll understand, y'see I'm not a business man never was." The gambler averted his eyes.
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