Part 2 (1/2)
”Oh, we said howdy to each other when we'd meet, but that was the size of it. The old lady didn't like me none and I thought the same of her. She never wanted my chickens runnin' over her yard. Ain't it a pity she can't see 'em now?”
With a throaty sound, half chuckle, half sneer, the man arose and walked with the girls around the house.
”If you want to look inside, there's a shutter off on the east livin'
room window,” he informed. ”Everything's just like the old lady left it.”
”You don't mean the furniture is still in the house!” Rhoda exclaimed incredulously.
”There ain't nothing been changed. I never could figure why someone didn't come in an' haul off her stuff, but it's stood all these years.”
Their curiosity aroused, the girls hastened to the window that Truman Crocker had mentioned. Flattening her face against the dirty pane, Penny peered inside.
”He's right!” she announced. ”The furniture is still covered by sheets!
Why, that's funny.”
”What is?” inquired Louise impatiently.
”There's a lady's hat lying on the table!”
”It must be quite out of style by this time,” Louise laughed.
”A _new_ hat,” Penny said with emphasis. ”And a purse lying beside it!”
At the other side of the house, an outside door squeaked. Turning around, the group of girls stared almost as if they were gazing at a ghost. An old lady in a long blue silk dress with lace collar and cuffs, stepped out onto the veranda. She gazed beyond the girls toward Truman Crocker who leaned against a tree. Seeing the woman, he straightened to alert attention.
”If it ain't Priscilla Marborough!” he exclaimed. ”You've come back!”
”I certainly have returned,” the old lady retorted with no friendliness in her voice. ”High time someone looked after this place! While I've been away, you seemingly have used my garden as a chicken run!”
”How did I know you was ever coming back?” Crocker demanded. ”Anyhow, the place has gone to wrack and ruin. A few chickens more nor less shouldn't make no difference.”
”Perhaps not to you, Truman Crocker,” Mrs. Marborough returned with biting emphasis. ”You know I am home now, so I warn you--keep your live stock out of my garden!”
Penny and her friends shared the old stonecutter's chagrin, for they too were trespa.s.sers. Waiting until the woman had finished lecturing Crocker, they offered an apology for the intrusion.
”We're very sorry,” Penny said, speaking for the others. ”Of course we never dreamed that the house was occupied or we wouldn't have peeped through the window. We came because we wanted to sketch the old wis.h.i.+ng well and your lovely home.”
Mrs. Marborough came down the steps toward the girls.
”I quite understand,” she said in a far milder tone than she had used in speaking to the stonecutter. ”You may look around as much as you wish.
But first, tell me your names.”
One by one they gave them, answering other questions which the old lady asked. She kept them so busy that they had no opportunity to interpose any of their own. But at length Penny managed to inquire:
”Mrs. Marborough, are you planning to open up your home again? Everyone would be so happy if only you should decide to live here!”
”Happy?” the old lady repeated, her eyes twinkling. ”Well, maybe some people would be, and others wouldn't.”
”Rose Acres could be made into one of the nicest places in Riverview,”