Nor was this fascination without
another evidence. There was a vacant stool by Perez, and as she passed
it, and he rose and bowed, she made as if she would seat herself
there.
"Don't ye sit thar," said Israel, "that ain't nothin but a stool.
Thar's a chair furder along."
The offer to sit by Perez was almost involuntary on her part, merely a
sign of her sense of powerlessness against him. She had had the
thought that he meant to have her sit there, and in her nervously
abject mood she had not thought of resisting. Her coming to the
husking at all had been a surrender to his will, and this seemed but
an incident and consequence of that. At Israel's words she blushed
faintly, but not in a way to be compared with the red flush that swept
over Perez' face.
"Thar," said Israel, good-humoredly, as she seated herself in the
promised chair, "naow I guess we'll see the shucks begin to fly."
"For the land sakes, Miss Edwards, you ain't a gonter go ter shuckin
with them ere white hands o' yourn," exclaimed Submit Goodrich. "Lemme
git yer some mittins, an an apron tew. Deary me, yew mustn't dew the
fuss thing till yew've got an apron."
"Guess yew ain't uster huskin, or yew woulden come in yer bes gaown,"
said Israel cheerfully.
Pages:
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349