Page:Rilla of Ingleside (1921).djvu/304

 “By the way, father,” said Rilla, “I’m going to take Jack Flagg’s place in his father’s store for a month. I promised him today that I would, if you didn’t object. Then he can help the farmers get the harvest in. I don’t think I’d be much use in a harvest field myself—though lots of the girls are—but I can set Jack free while I do his work. Jims isn’t much bother in the day-time now, and I'll always be home at night.”

“Do you think you'll like weighing out sugar and beans, and trafficking in butter and eggs?” said the doctor, twinkling.

“Probably not. That isn’t the question. It’s just one way of doing my bit.”

So Rilla went behind Mr. Flagg’s counter for a month; and Susan went into Albert Crawford’s oat fields.

“I am as good as any of them yet,” she said proudly. “Not a man of them can beat me when it comes to building a stack. When I offered to help Albert looked doubtful. ‘I am afraid the work will be too hard for you,’ he said. ‘Try me for a day and see,’ said I. ‘I will do my darnedest.’”

None of the Ingleside folks spoke for just a moment. Their silence meant that they thought Susan’s pluck in “working out ” quite wonderful. But Susan mistook their meaning and her sunburned face grew red.

“This habit of swearing seems to be growing on me, Mrs. Dr. dear,”’ she said apologetically. “To think that I should be acquiring it at my age! It is such a dreadful example to the young girls. I am of the opinion it comes of reading the newspapers so much They are so full of profanity and they do not spell it