"I cannot tell her, Jim, I really cannot. I don't how know to begin to
tell her."
"Why do you need to tell her?" Jim asked. "Hasn't the lady eyes and
understanding? What does she think I come for?"
"She doesn't know you come. She sees somebody here, but she thinks it's
the grocery-boy waiting until I empty his basket."
"Indeed," Jim said a little stiffly, "which one, I wonder."
"Don't you remember the night she said to me 'And what did you say this
young man's name is, Camilla'--no, no, Jim, she hasn't noticed you at
all."
Jim was silent a moment.
"Well now," he said at last, "she seemed to be taking notice that
morning I came in without any very good excuse, and she said 'How does
it happen that you are not harvesting this beautiful day, Mr. Russell?'"
"Yes, and what did you say?" Camilla asked a trifle severely.
Jim looked a little embarrassed.
"I said--I had not felt well lately, and I had come in to see the
doctor."
"And what was that?" Camilla was still stern.
"The ingenious device of an ardent lover," he replied quickly.
"'Ardened sinner you mean, Jim," she laughed. "But the next time you
had a splendid excuse, you had a message from Pearl. Was my new suit
done?"
"Yes, and then I came to see--"
There was a frou-frou of skirts in the hall. Camilla made a quick move
and Jim became busy with the books on the table.
Mrs. Francis entered.
"Camilla," she began after she had spoken cordially to Jim, "Mr.
Francis is in need of a young man to manage his business for him, and
he has made up his mind--quite made up his mind, Camilla, to take Mr.
Russell into partnership with him if Mr. Russell will agree. Mr.
Francis needs just such a young man, one of education, good habits and
business ability and so, Camilla, I see no reason why your marriage
should not take place at once."
"Marriage!" Camilla gasped.
"Yes," Mrs. Francis said in her richest tones. "Your marriage, Camilla,
at once. You are engaged are you not?"
"I am--convinced," Camilla said irrelevantly.
And then it was Mrs. Francis who laughed as she held out a hand to each
of them.
"I do see--things--sometimes," she said.
End of Project Gutenberg's Sowing Seeds in Danny, by Nellie L. McClung
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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