"Yes'm," he replied. "Ring and furniture--or anythin' you'd like."
"James is real indulgent," she said to Winfield, with a certain modest
pride which was at once ludicrous and pathetic.
"He should be, Mrs. Ball," returned the young man, gallantly.
She looked at him closely, as if to discover whether he was in earnest,
but he did not flinch. "Young feller," she said, "you ain't layin' out
to take no excursions on the water, be you?"
"Not that I know of," he answered, "why?"
"Sea-farin' is dangerous," she returned.
"Mis' Ball was terrible sea sick comin' here," remarked her husband.
"She didn't seem to have no sea legs, as you may say."
"Ain't you tired of dwellin' on that?" asked Aunt Jane, sharply. "'T
ain't no disgrace to be sea sick, and I wan't the only one."
Winfield came to the rescue with a question and the troubled waters
were soon calm again. After supper, Ruth said: "Aunty, may I take Mr.
Winfield up to the attic and show him my grandmother's things that
you've just given me?"
"Run along, child. Me and James will wash the dishes."
"Poor James," said Winfield, in a low tone, as they ascended the stairs.
"Do I have to wash dishes, Ruth?"
"It wouldn't surprise me. You said you wanted to work for me, and I
despise dishes."
"Then we'll get an orphan to do 'em. I'm not fitted for it, and I don't
think you are."
"Say, isn't this great!" he exclaimed, as they entered the attic.
"Trunks, cobwebs, and old furniture! Why have I never been here before?"
"It wasn't proper," replied Ruth, primly, with a sidelong glance at him.
"No, go away!"
They dragged the furniture out into the middle of the room and looked it
over critically. There was all that she had described, and unsuspected
treasure lay in concealment behind it. "There's almost enough to furnish
a flat!" she cried, in delight.
He was opening the drawers of a cabinet, which stood far back under the
eaves. "What's this, Ruth?"
"Oh, it's old blue china--willow pattern! How rich we are!"
"Is old blue willow-pattern china considered beautiful?"
"Of course it is, you goose! We'll have to have our dining-room done in
old blue, now, with a shelf on the wall for these plates."
"Why can't we have a red dining-room?"
"Because it would be a fright. You can have a red den, if you like."
"All right," he answered, "but it seems to me it would be simpler and
save a good deal of expense, if we just pitched the plates into the sad
sea. I don't think much of 'em."
"That's because you're not educated, dearest," returned Ruth, sweetly.
"When you're married, you'll know a great deal more about china--you see
if you don't."