第16章

"Guess you've been havin' a pretty good time, haven't you?" he inquired.

The small visitor's answer was given with dignity.

"Yes," she said."Will you please tell me if you are the windmill man?"Jed accepted the snub with outward humility and inward appreciation.

"Why, yes," he admitted; "I presume likely I'm the windmill man.

Is there anything I can do for you this evenin'?"Apparently there was, for the child, untucking the doll from beneath her right arm and tucking it under the left, pointed her right hand at a wooden weather-vane in the shape of a sperm whale and asked:

"Please, does that fish go 'round?"

"Go 'round? Go 'round where?"

"I mean does it go 'round and 'round on a stick?""Cal'late it does when it has a chance."

"And does it make the wind blow no'theast by no'th and--and like that?""Eh? Make the wind blow--how?"

"I mean does it make the wind blow different ways, no'theast by no'th and cantin' 'round to the sou-east and--and those ways?

Captain Hedge has got a fish up on his barn that used to do that, but now it won't 'cause he cal'lates it's rusted fast.He said he guessed he would have to be getting a new one.When I saw the fishes out in your yard I thought about it and I thought I would come in and see if you had the right kind.Is this one a--a gunfish?""A WHICH fish?"

"A gunfish.No, that isn't it.A--a swordfish, that's it.

Captain Hedge's is a swordfish."

"We-ll, that particular one got a wrong start and ended up by bein'

a whale, but I shouldn't wonder if we could find a swordfish if we looked.Yes, here's one.Think that would do?"The child looked it over very carefully.

"Yes," she said, "I think it would.If you're sure it would make the wind go right.""We-ll, I guess likely I could guarantee that fish would go 'most any way the wind did, unless it should take a notion to blow straight up and down, which don't happen often.So you know Cap'n Hedge, do you? Relation of his, are you? Visitin' there?""No.Mamma and I are boarding at Mrs.Smalley's, but I go over to call on Captain Hedge 'most every day.""Sho! Want to know! Well, that's nice and sociable.So you're boardin' at Luretta Smalley's.My! you're consider'ble ways from home, ain't you? Is your mamma with you?"For the first time the youthful caller's poise seemed a trifle shaken.

"No-o...no," she stammered, and added, hastily: "How much is this fish, please?""I generally sell that sort of fish for about two dollars." He looked out of the window, hummed a tune, and then added: "Let's see, what did you say your name was?""I didn't, but it's Barbara Armstrong.HOW much did you say the fish was?""Eh?...Oh, two dollars."

Miss Armstrong looked very much disappointed.

"Oh, dear," she sighed."I didn't know it would be as much as that.I--I'm 'fraid I can't get it.""So? That's too bad.What was you cal'latin' to do with it, if you did get it?""I was going to give it to Captain Hedge.He misses his, now that it's rusted so fast that it won't go.But I can't get it.Ihaven't got but fourteen cents, ten that Mamma gave me this morning for being a good girl and taking my medicine nice yesterday, and four that Mrs.Smalley gave me for getting the eggs last week.And two dollars is EVER so much more than fourteen cents, isn't it?""Hum....'Tis a little more, that's right.It's considered more by the--um--er--best authorities.Hum...er...h-u-u-m.

Sometimes, though, I do take off a little somethin' for spot cash.

You'd pay spot cash, I presume likely, wouldn't you?""I--I don't know what spot cash is.I'd pay fourteen cents."Jed rubbed his chin."We-e-ll," he drawled, gravely, "I'm afraid Icouldn't hardly knock off all that that comes to.But," taking another and much smaller vane from a shelf, "there's an article, not quite so big, that I usually get fifty cents for.What do you think of that?"The child took the miniature swordfish and inspected it carefully.