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It was very still in the woods, with only the sleepy chirp of a bird or rustling of a squirrel to be heard, but from somewhere in the hot glare of the afternoon came the rasping of the first locust. Zephania served supper that evening with chastened mien, and for once she neglected to sing. "You do think you'll come back, don't you, Mr. Herrick?" she asked. "Why, yes, Zephania, I expect to.
Don't fail me, please, Miss Walton, for Zephania and I will be terribly disappointed if you do. It's our first tea, you know." "Indeed we won't fail you!" answered Eve. "And, please, I like lemon with mine."
He hadn't suggested such care as that, but Zephania had insisted. Zephania, he reflected with a feeling of gratitude, had been rather cut up about his departure. Of course it was nobody's fault but his own. He had deliberately fallen in love, scorning consequences. Now he was staring at the consequences and didn't like their looks. Thank Heaven, he was a worker, and there was plenty of work to do.
"Yes, sir. They come in June and stay until September. This is the third summer they've been here. Before that the house was empty for a long, long time; just like this one." "Very interesting, Zephania. Thank you. Now don't let me keep you from your labors any longer." "No, sir, but don't you want to hear about any one else?" "Another time, thanks. We'll do it by degrees.
Sometimes I think I'd just give almost anything if my eyes were like hers." "Really? But you seem to have a very good pair of your own. Don't trouble you, do they?" "They're black," said Zephania, cheerfully. "Black eyes aren't pretty." "Oh, I wouldn't go as far as that," murmured Wade, politely.
Well, now, I reckon that's the way with me, Zephania, come to think about it. I suppose keeping busy at something you like doing comes just as near to spelling happiness as anything can, eh?" "Yes sir." "By the way, Zephania, do you wear a hat?" "Why, yes, sir, of course!" "Oh! Well, I didn't know; I never saw you with one on.
"Fifteen in March, sir." "Next March?" "No, sir, last." "You don't look it." "No, sir, folks say I'm small for my age," agreed Zephania, cheerfully. "I agree with them. Do you think you're strong enough to do the work here?" "Oh, yes, sir. This is a very easy house to look after."
He was still undergoing his novitiate, and to raise his hat to Miss Cousins, when he encountered that austere lady on the street, was as yet the height of social triumph. Wade, however, was experiencing no yearnings for a wider social sphere. Eve and Miss Mullett and the Doctor, Zephania, and the two Zenases were sufficient for him.
"Oh, a few dollars; ten or fifteen. Why?" "I'd almost be afraid of losing it, Mr. Herrick. Would you please see that it wasn't a very big nug nug " "Nugget'? All right," he laughed. "I'll see that it's only about as big as your thumbnail." "Thank you, sir; I'd think a great deal of it. Will you have some more tea?" "No, no more tea, Zephania. No more anything. You may take the things out."
"You could just sort of sweep the dirt down the front stairs and right out of the front door, couldn't you?" "Oh, no, sir," replied Zephania, with a shocked, pitying expression. "I'd never do that. I'd clean each room separately, sir; sweep and wash up the floors and around the mop-board and " "Whatever way you think best," interrupted Wade.
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