“Look here, honey,” he said turning, “you don't want to see the
dry-house just now. I have terrific heat to do some rapid work. I won't
be gone but a few minutes. You better boss the decorator.
“I'm afraid that wasn't very diplomatic,” he muttered. “It savoured a
little of being sent back. But if what she says is right, and she
should know if they handle such stuff at that art store, she will feel
considerably better not to see this.”
He set his load at the door, drew an old blue saucer from his pocket and
made a careful examination. He pulled some leaves from a bush and pushed
a greasy cloth out of the saucer, wiped it the best he could, and held
it to light.
“That is a crime!” he commented. “Saucer from your maternal ancestors'
tea set used for a grease dish. I am afraid I'd better sink it in the
lake. She'd feel worse to see it than never to know. Wish I could clean
off the grease! I could do better if it was hot. I can set it on the
engine.”
The Harvester placed the saucer on the engine, entered the dry-house,
and closed the door. In the stifling air he began pouring seed from
beautiful, big willow plates to the old white ones.
“About the time I have ruined you,” he said to a white plate, “some one
will pop up and discover that the art of making you is lost and you are
priceless, and I'll have been guilty of another blunder. Now there are
the dishes mother got with baking powder. She thought they were grand.
I know plenty well she prized them more than these blue ones or she
wouldn't have saved them and used these for every day. There they set,
all so carefully taken care of, and the Girl doesn't even look at them.
Thank Heaven, there are the four remaining plates all right, anyway! Now
I've got seed in some of the saucers; one is there; where on earth is
the last one? And where, oh unkind fates! are the cups?”
He found more saucers and set them with the plates. As he passed the
engine he noticed the saucer on it was bubbling grease, literally
exuding it from the particles of clay.
“Hooray!” cried the Harvester. He took it up, but it was so hot he
dropped it. With a deft sweep he caught it in air, and shoved it on
a tray. Then he danced and blew on his burned hand. Snatching out his
handkerchief he rubbed off all the grease, and imagined the saucer was
brighter.
“If 'a little is good, more is better,'” quoted the Harvester.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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