"There now, if you want to go back to your inventin' you can," she
remarked, as she began to clear away the dishes. "You've took aboard
enough rations to do you quite a while."
Notwithstanding the permission Willie did not immediately avail himself
of it but instead lingered uneasily as if something troubled his
conscience.
"Say, Tiny," he blurted out at length, "if you happen around by the
front door and miss the screen don't be scared an' think it's stole. I
had to use it fur somethin' last night."
"The screen door?" gasped Celestina.
"Yes."
"But--but--Willie! The door was new this Spring; there wasn't a brack
in it."
"I know it," was the calm answer. "That's why I took it."
"But you could have got nettin' over at the store to-day."
"I couldn't wait."
Celestina did not reply at once; but when she did she had herself well
in hand, and every trace of irritation had vanished from her tone.
"Well, we don't often open that door, anyway," she reflected aloud, "so
I guess no harm's done. It's a full year since anybody's come to the
front door, an' like as not 'twill be another before--"
A jangling sound cut short the sentence.
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