DEE TUCKER MAKES A SALE
"PAGE! I've been eavesdropping! I declare I never meant to do it. I got
into the swim of the conversation and somehow couldn't get out of it,"
cried Dee, blushing furiously. "I don't know what Zebedee would say if
he knew it."
"Why, honey, that isn't eavesdropping!" I laughed. "Country people
always listen to everything they can over the 'phone. That is the only
way we have of spreading the news. I can assure you that perfectly good
church members in our county make a practice of running to the telephone
every time a neighbor's bell rings. How many were on the line when you
cut in?"
"Three or four, I should say, I couldn't quite tell."
Then Dee told me the conversation she had overheard, making me a party
to the crime of eavesdropping.
"Here comes Dick now, I do believe. He was the one who was all cranked
up ready to come."
There was a great buzzing and hissing on the road as a disreputable
looking Ford came speeding down the hill. I have never seen such a
dilapidated car, and still it ran and made good time, too. There was not
a square inch of paint left on its faithful sides, and the top was
hanging down on one side, giving it the appearance of a broken-winged
crow. The doors flapped in the breezes, and the mud-guards were bent and
twisted as though they had had many a collision.
Dick, however, was spruce enough to make up for the appearance of his
car. He had on a bright blue suit, the very brightest blue one can
imagine coming in any material but glass or china; a necktie made of a
silk U. S. flag, with a scarf pin which looked very like an owl with two
great imitation ruby eyes; but I found on inspection it was the American
Eagle. His shoes were very gay yellow and his socks striped red and
white, carrying out the color scheme of his cravat.
I ducked behind my side of the counter leaving the field clear for Dee.
She stood to her guns and gave the newcomer a radiant smile. She was
there to sell goods for Annie Pore and sell them she would.
"Evenin'!"
"How do you do? What can I do for you?"
"Pretty day!"
"Yes, fine! Is there something I can show you?"
"Not so warm as yesterday and a little bit cooler than the day before!"
"Yes, that is so. We've got in a fresh cheese,--maybe you would like a
few pounds of it."
"Looks like rain but the moon hangs dry."
"Oh, I hope it won't rain,--but maybe it will--let me sell you an
umbrella,--they are great when it rains."
"We don't to say need rain for most of the crops, but it wouldn't hurt
the late potatoes."
"Oh, I'm glad of that!"
"But the watermelons don't need a drop more. They are ripening
fine,--rain would make them too mushy like. I'm going to ship a load of
them next week. I 'low I'll get about three hundred off of that sandy
creek bottom."
"Fine! Watermelons are my favorite berry."
Right there I exploded and the young man let out a great haw! haw! too
that helped to break the ice, and also enabled Dee to stop her painful
rejoinders to his polite small talk, and then he began to buy. I heard
Annie and Sleepy as they hitched the horse at the post and I hoped
devoutly the festive Dick would buy out the store before they got in.
Already he had purchased six cravats, a new coal skuttle, a
much-decorated set of bedroom china, a bag of horse cakes, some canned
salmon and a box of axle grease when Annie made her appearance.
She was looking so lovely that I did not blame Sleepy for having the
expression of a hungry man. She was certainly good enough to eat.
"Oh, Page, we had such a wonderful drive! I am so afraid we were gone
too long, but George simply would not turn around." Annie was the only
person who always called Sleepy by his Christian name.
"He was quite right. I have had the time of my life. Dee is helping me.
She is in the other room now, selling a young man named Dick everything
in the store. Don't butt in on her; let her finish her sales. Here come
the others! They said they would be back to see you."
In came all the house-party and such a hugging and kissing and
handshaking ensued as I am sure that little country store had never
before witnessed.
"Oh, Annie, we miss you so!" cried Mary.
"Indeed we do!" from the others.
"Maybe I can be with you in a day or so," said Annie. "Father is going
to try to return in a very little while."
"Well, until he does come back one of us is going to be with you every
day," declared Dum. "Page and Dee need not think they are the only ones
who are going to help."
Annie's eyes were full of happy tears. "What have I done to deserve so
many dear friends?" she whispered to me.
"Nothing but just be your sweet self!" I answered. "I must peep in and
see what Dee is doing to that poor defenseless Dick. I bet she has sold
him a kitchen stove by this time."
Annie and I made our way into the outer room, where at the far end we
could see Dick and Dee in earnest converse.
"It is a very excellent one," she was declaiming. "In fact, I am sure
there is not a better one to be bought. It is air tight and water tight;
of the best material; the latest style; the workmanship on it is very
superior; the price is ridiculously low. Really I think all country
people ought to have one in the house for emergencies. One never can
tell when one will be needed and sometimes they are so difficult to get
in a hurry."
"That's so!" agreed the enamored Dick. "But I reckon I could get this
any time from old man Pore if I should need it."
"Oh, no! You see this is the only one in stock and somebody might come
for this this very night, and then where would you be if you needed it?
Then even if you could get another one, it might not be nearly so
attractive as this one. They are going up, too, all the time,--effect of
the war. Of course this was bought when they were not so high, and I am
letting you have advantage of the price we paid for it. After this they
will be up at least forty per cent.--that's the truth. The war prices
are something fierce."
"Ain't it the truth?"
"Yes, and then you might not be able to get another lavender one. I just
know lavender would be becoming to you. I'd like to see you in a
lavender one."
"Would you really now? That settles it then! I'll have to get old Pore
to trust me, though, until I sell my melons."
"Oh, that's all right. Just whenever you feel like paying."
I was completely mystified. What on earth was that ridiculous girl
selling to the young farmer? Annie was reduced to the limpness of a wet
dishrag by what we had overheard. The giggles had her in their clutches
and she could not speak.
"Do you think you can help me out with it?" asked the young man.
"Sure! It is not heavy yet."
Around the labyrinth made by the farming implements, stoves, etc., came
the buyer and seller, he backing and she carefully guiding him. Between
them they carried a long something; I, at first, could not make out
what.
"A coffin!" I gasped.
Through the door they made their way into the store proper. Some colored
customers had just come in and these fell back with expressions of
curiosity and awe equally mingled on their black faces.
"Who daid? Who daid?" they whispered, but no one vouchsafed any
information. Dee looked supernaturally solemn and Dick only wanted to
get his latest purchase safely landed in his car.
The house-party had adjourned to the porch in front, and when the
lugubrious procession emerged from the store the gaiety suddenly
ceased. As Dick backed out, the young men doffed their caps and the
girls bowed their heads. What was their amazement when Dee turned out to
have hold of the other end. Every man sprang forward to take her place,
but she sadly shook her head and held on to her job.
"It isn't heavy," she whispered.
Dum's eyes filled with tears. She thought with sadness that in a short
while it would be heavy when it fulfilled its destiny. She was very
proud of her twin that she should be so kind and helpful at such a time.
How like Dee it was to be assisting this poor young man, who had perhaps
lost some one near and dear to him!
No one spoke, but all remained reverently uncovered while the coffin was
hoisted on the back seat of the ragged old car. The young men assisted
in this, although Dee would not resign her place as chief mourner.
"Who daid? Who daid?" clamored the darkies who seemed to spring up from
the ground, such a crowd of them appeared in the twinkling of an eye.
"I don't know," said Dum in a teary voice, "but isn't it sad?"
"'Tain't Miss Rena Lee 'cause I jes' done seed her headin' fer the
sto'," declared a little pickaninny.
"She ain't a-trus'in' her bones ter Mr. Dick's artermobe. She done sayed
she gonter dribe her ole yaller mule whar she gwinter go."
"Ain't de Lees got a boardner? Maybe it's de boardner," suggested a
helpful old woman.
"Well, I wonder if it is! Here he come! I'm a-gwinter arsk him."
Dick came out laden with his other purchases.
"Lawsamussy! It mus' be de boardner an' all er her folks is a-comin'
down, 'cause how come Mr. Dick hafter buy all them things otherwise?
Look thar chiny an' coal skuttles an' what not!"
"Who daid, Mr. Dick? Who daid?"
"Nobody I know of!" grinned the young man.
"Ain't it de boardner?"
"What boarder?"
"Miss Rena's boardner!"
"Sister Rena hasn't any boarder that I know of. Here, get out of the
road or I'll let you know who is dead!"
He took a fond farewell of Dee and cranking up his noisy car, he jumped
to his seat and speeded home with the coffin and the coal skuttle
bouncing up and down right merrily.
"Ain't nobody daid?" grieved a sad old woman.
"No! Nobody ain't daid!" snapped an old man. "Nobody ain't eben a-dyin'.
Now that thar Dick Lee done bought up th' only carsket in the sto' an'
my Luly is mighty low--mighty low."
"Sho-o' nuf I ain't heard tell of it. Is she in de baid?"
"Well, not ter say in de baid--but on de baid, on de baid. Anyhow
'tain't safe to count on her fer long. White folks is sho' graspin'
these days. They is sho' graspin'."
The old man departed on his way grumbling.
"Caroline Tucker, what did you sell that coffin to that young man for?"
demanded Dum sternly.
"Just to see if I could, Virginia Tucker. I told him I'd like to see him
in a coffin lined with lavender, and he was so complimented, he
immediately bought it to keep for a rainy day."
Dee and I had made so many sales that Annie had to send a telegram
informing her father of the diminished stock. It was necessary to order
another coffin immediately in case the ailing Luly might need it.