"Nothing. It's them! Those Vertreeses!" She wiped her eyes.
"They've had to sell their piano!"
"Well, what of it?"
"That Mrs. Kittersby told me all about 'em a week ago," said Sibyl.
"They've been hard up for a long time, and she says as long ago as
last winter she knew that girl got a pair of walking-shoes re-soled
and patched, because she got it done the same place Mrs. Kittersby's
cook had HERS! And the night of the house-warming I kind of got
suspicious, myself. She didn't have one single piece of any kind of
real jewelry, and you could see her dress was an old one done over.
Men can't tell those things, and you all made a big fuss over her,
but I thought she looked a sight, myself! Of course, EDITH was
crazy to have her, and--"
"Well, well?" he urged, impatiently.
"Well, I'm TELLING you! Mrs. Kittersby says they haven't got a THING!
Just absolutely NOTHING--and they don't know anywhere to turn! The
family's all died out but them, and all the relatives they got are
very distant, and live East and scarcely know 'em. She says the whole
town's been wondering what WOULD become of 'em. The girl had plenty
chances to marry up to a year or so ago, but she was so indifferent
she scared the men off, and the ones that had wanted to went and
married other girls.
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