The house-keeper finished her task and turned to her callers. "Now then! Do yuh like white er brown aigs?"
"White ones, please," returned Mrs. Fabian.
The woman went to the large storeroom off the kitchen and counted out a dozen eggs in a box. When she came back she held them in one hand while waiting for payment, with outstretched other hand.
"That's a fine sofa you've got in the next room," remarked Mrs. Fabian, pretending not to notice the open palm.
"Yeh, d'ye know, I paid fifteen dollars jus' fer that red plush alone?" declared she, going to the door and turning to invite her visitors to come in. The box of eggs was forgotten for the time.
The girls followed Mrs. Fabian to the best room that opened from the large kitchen, and to their horror they saw that the sofa referred to was a hideous Victorian affair of walnut frame upholstered in awful red mohair plush.
But Mrs. Fabian made the most of her optics the moment she got inside the room. Thus it happened that she spied a few little ornaments on the old mantel-shelf.
"What old-fashioned glass candle-sticks," said she, going over to look at the white-glass holders with pewter sockets.
"Ain't they awful! I've told Abe, many a time, that I'd throw them out, some day, and get a real nice bankit lamp fer the center table," returned the hostess.
"And won't he throw them away?" asked Mrs. Fabian, guilelessly.
"He says, why should we waste 'em, when they comes in so handy, in winter, to carry down cellar fer apples. He likes 'em cuz he onny paid a quarter fer 'em an' a glass pitcher, at an auction, some miles up the road. But that wuz so long ago we've got our money's wuth outen them. Now I wants a brass lamp an' he says I'm gettin' scandalous in my old age--awastin' money on flim-flams fer the settin' room. He says lamps is fer parlor use."
Her repressed aspirations in furnishings made the woman pity herself, but Mrs. Fabian took advantage of the situation.
"I've needed a pair of candle-sticks for some time, and I'll exchange a lamp for your auction bargain which you say has paid for itself, by this time."
"What! Don't you want your lamp?" exclaimed the lady, aghast at such a statement.
"Well, I have no further use for one, and it would look lovely on your marble-top table," returned Mrs. Fabian.