CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
Mrs.Baxter was troubled.During the afternoon she glanced often from the open window of the room where she had gone to sew, but the peaceful neighborhood continued to be peaceful, and no sound of the harassed footsteps of William echoed from the pavement.
However, she saw Genesis arrive (in his week-
day costume) to do some weeding, and Jane immediately skip forth for mingled purposes of observation and conversation.
``What DO they say?'' thought Mrs.Baxter, observing that both Jane and Genesis were unusually animated.But for once that perplexity was to be dispersed.After an exciting half-hour Jane came flying to her mother, breathless.
``Mamma,'' she cried, ``I know where Willie is!
Genesis told me, 'cause he saw him, an' he talked to him while he was doin' it.''
``Doing what? Where?''
``Mamma, listen! What you think Willie's doin'? I bet you can't g--''
``Jane!'' Mrs Baxter spoke sharply.``Tell me what Genesis said, at once.''
``Yes'm.Willie's sittin' in a lumber-yard that Genesis comes by on his way from over on the avynoo where all the colored people live--an' he's countin' knot-holes in shingles.''
``He is WHAT?''
``Yes'm.Genesis knows all about it, because he was thinkin' of doin' it himself, only he says it would be too slow.This is the way it is, mamma.Listen, mamma, because this is just exackly the way it is.Well, this lumber-yard man got into some sort of a fuss because he bought millions an' millions of shingles, mamma, that had too many knots in, an' the man don't want to pay for 'em, or else the store where he bought 'em won't take 'em back, an' they got to prove how many shingles are bad shingles, or somep'm, an' anyway, mamma, that's what Willie's doin'.Every time he comes to a bad shingle, mamma, he puts it somewheres else, or somep'm like that, mamma, an' every time he's put a thousand bad shingles in this other place they give him six cents.He gets the six cents to keep, mamma--an' that's what he's been doin' all day!''
``Good gracious!''
``Oh, but that's nothing, mamma--just you wait till you hear the rest.THAT part of it isn't anything a TALL, mamma! You wouldn't hardly notice that part of it if you knew the other part of it, mamma.Why, that isn't ANYTHING!'' Jane made demonstrations of scorn for the insignificant information already imparted.
``Jane!''
``Yes'm?''
``I want to know everything Genesis told you,'' said her mother, ``and I want you to tell it as quickly as you can.''
``Well, I AM tellin' it, mamma!'' Jane protested.``I'm just BEGINNING to tell it.I can't tell it unless there's a beginning, can I? How could there be ANYTHING unless you had to begin it, mamma?''
``Try your best to go on, Jane!''
``Yes'm.Well, Genesis says-- Mamma!''
Jane interrupted herself with a little outcry.
``Oh! I bet THAT'S what he had those two market-
baskets for! Yes, sir! That's just what he did!
An' then he needed the rest o' the money an'
you an' papa wouldn't give him any, an' so he began countin' shingles to-day 'cause to-night's the night of the party an' he just HASS to have it!''
Mrs.Baxter, who had risen to her feet, recalled the episode of the baskets and sank into a chair.``How did Genesis know Willie wanted forty dollars, and if Willie's pawned something how did Genesis know THAT? Did Willie tell Gen--''
``Oh no, mamma, Willie didn't want forty dollars--only fourteen!''
``But he couldn't get even the cheapest ready-
made dress-suit for fourteen dollars.''
``Mamma, you're gettin' it all mixed up!''
Jane cried.``Listen, mamma! Genesis knows all about a second-hand store over on the avynoo;
an' it keeps 'most everything, an' Genesis says it's the nicest store! It keeps waiter suits all the way up to nineteen dollars and ninety-nine cents.Well, an' Genesis wants to get one of those suits, so he goes in there all the time, an'
talks to the man an' bargains an' bargains with him, 'cause Genesis says this man is the bargainest man in the wide worl', mamma! That's what Genesis says.Well, an' so this man's name is One-eye Beljus, mamma.That's his name, an' Genesis says so.Well, an' so this man that Genesis told me about, that keeps the store--I mean One-eye Beljus, mamma--well, One-eye Beljus had Willie's name written down in a book, an' he knew Genesis worked for fam'lies that have boys like Willie in 'em, an' this morning One-eye Beljus showed Genesis Willie's name written down in this book, an' One-eye Beljus asked Genesis if he knew anybody by that name an' all about him.Well, an' so at first Genesis pretended he was tryin' to remember, because he wanted to find out what Willie went there for.
Genesis didn't tell any stories, mamma; he just pretended he couldn't remember, an' so, well, One-eye Beljus kept talkin' an' pretty soon Genesis found out all about it.One-eye Beljus said Willie came in there an' tried on the coat of one of those waiter suits--''
``Oh no!'' gasped Mrs.Baxter.
``Yes'm, an' One-eye Beljus said it was the only one that would fit Willie, an' One-eye Beljus told Willie that suit was worth fourteen dollars, an' Willie said he didn't have any money, but he'd like to trade something else for it.
Well, an' so One-eye Beljus said this was an awful fine suit an' the only one he had that had b'longed to a white gentleman.Well, an'
so they bargained, an' bargained, an' bargained, an' BARGAINED! An' then, well, an' so at last Willie said he'd go an' get everything that b'longed to him, an' One-eye Beljus could pick out enough to make fourteen dollars' worth, an' then Willie could have the suit.Well, an'
so Willie came home an' put everything he had that b'longed to him into those two baskets, mamma--that's just what he did, 'cause Genesis says he told One-eye Beljus it was everything that b'longed to him, an' that would take two baskets, mamma.Well, then, an' so he told One-eye Beljus to pick out fourteen dollars'
