Page:They're a multitoode (1900).djvu/23

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

was talking about the heathen. If it hadn't been for Lin," said Chippy, "we'd have forgotten all about them inside of a week. But Lin was bound that something had got to be done. 'There's so many of them, Lin,' says Miss Loretta Pease. (Miss Loretta lives on the next floor to us; she's educated.) 'They're a multitoode,' she says. 'You can't never reach 'em.' 'Not all of them at once,' says Lin to her. 'Not just us alone by ourselves. We ain't expected to do only our part.'"

"Miss Lin is sagacious," said Christy.

"'It isn't any more than right for us to do our part,' she told Miss Loretta. 'And for one I won't back out of it,' Nor, you may be sure, she wouldn't. Lin is the sort that wouldn't,"

"An uncommonly good sort," said Christy.

"You are like that, too, ain't you!" said Chippy, looking over at him kindly.

"Miss Loretta came round all right after Lin had worked over her a while. She ain't obstinate. She's genteel. So Lin fixed it up that we was all to chip in together and make up a purse for the heathen. So we did it. And there it is."

He nodded proudly toward the newspaper parcel.

"You must have worked hard," said Christy.

"It's savings, mostly. I mean our part of it is, Lin's and my brother's and mine. Lin got off the neighbors, too, you know; it's all there together."

"You saved yours?" questioned Christy.

"Yes, sir. Lin is grand on saving. She scatters it. She don't bunch it all on one thing till it appears as