"I had a look at your Teresa," he said, "and I think that an apron of this
excellent cloth will give her a thousand thrills. See, what beautiful stuff
it is."
Paula gave a nervous look toward the window before answering.
"No, she's not there," said the young man, divining her thoughts. "Not
finding you here, she's gone on a bit, but you can find her easily enough."
We were enchanted with the goods which he displayed, and we were soon
served, at not too great a cost.
"You have been very good to us, sir," said Paula, starting to go out. "We
have given you so much trouble, but when we wish to buy anything more, we
shall always come here, will we not, Lisita? In the meantime, many thanks,"
and she extended her hand to him with surprising self-possession.
"The pleasure is all mine," said the young man, and I could see that he'd
never met her like before.
Teresa was not far away, gazing into a jeweler's window. "At last, you're
here," she said amiably. "Now, we must hurry, for it is very late." She
made no mention of our untoward absence and one would have believed that
she had not noticed it, and that relieved us very much.
"You certainly are late," said my father to Teresa on our return.
"I thought we'd never get through," said the good woman. "For you see,
Paula had to spend--"
"Oh, yes, I understand. She had to get rid of her five francs.
"And now, Paula, show me what you have bought."
"All right. Here you are, uncle!"
Paula had always shown a certain timidity toward my father, and appeared to
be slightly afraid of him. Slightly red in the face, she took out the
packages one after the other from Teresa's bag.
"You shall see, sir. You shall see," commented Teresa, with a shake of her
head.
"What a lot of packages!" said Rosa, on seeing all the bundles tied up with
such care.
"Shall I help you open them?" said my father. "Let us see what's in this
first package. My, my, what's this? White grapes! And of the finest kind!
You certainly have got good taste. I'll say that much, Paula!"
"They are for Catalina, uncle."
"For Catalina?"
"Yes, uncle dear."
Now there was not a sign of derision in my father's voice. It had changed
to a surprising tenderness as he said, "So you bought this for our
Catalina? I know the cost of such fruit, and Teresa should not have
consented."
"And do you think, sir," broke in Teresa, "that when Paula wants to buy
something, that she asks for my consent? You will soon be able to judge
that for yourself. I never saw her equal."
"And this?" questioned Rosa, taking up the package of souvenir cards.
Paula indicated the destination of each one as she gave the name and
address of many of her old neighbors in far-away Villar.
"So you don't forget your old friends," observed my father.
"Oh, what a beautiful box this is," continued Rosa, "and, oh, look here,"
as she displayed the thimble inside. "Who can this be for?"
"Oh, that's for Lisita."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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