CHAPTER VIII
NEVER FORGET; NEVER FORGIVE
While Ann' Sheba finished her dinner Mara began to open and put in their
places the slender materials which she had purchased as her first step
toward self-support. The generous meal, and especially the coffee
combining with the strong incentive of her purpose, gave elasticity to her
step and flushed her face slightly with color. The old aunty watched her
curiously and sympathetically as she thought, "Bress her heart how purty
she am, bendin' heah an' dar like a willow an' lookin' de lady ebery inch
while she doin' kitchen work! Quar pahner fer sech an ole woman as me ter
hab, but I dun declar dat her han's, ef dey am little, seem po'ful smart.
Dey takes hole on tings jes' as if dey'd coax 'em right along whar she
wants dem!" Then she broke out, "Wot a fool dat Owen Clancy am!"
Mara started and was suddenly busy in a distant part of the room. "I
reckon you are the only one that thinks so, Aun' Sheba," she remarked
quietly.
"Ef he could see you now he'd tink so hisself."
"Very likely," and there was a little bitterness in Mara's accent.
"De mo' fool he be den," said Aun' Sheba with an indignant toss of her
head. "Whar ud his eyes be ef he could see you and not go down on his
marrow-bones, I'd like to know? Habn't I seen all de quality ob dis town?
and dat fer de new quality," with a snap of her fingers, "an you take de
shine off'n dem all eben in de kitchen.
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