Read Online Place Called Estherville by Erskine Caldwell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erskine Caldwell
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work several weeks ago, did you? Why is that?” She smiled confidently. “Didn’t Mrs. Swayne give you a reference?”
Kathyanne felt weak with disappointment. She gripped the back of the chair with both hands. Madgie was smiling with a superior arching of her eyebrows.
“I didn’t ask for one, Miss Madgie.”
“You didn’t?” she remarked with increased interest. “And why not, Kathyanne?”
“I didn’t ask for one at the time, and I just never went back for it.”
“Are you sure that’s the reason, Kathyanne?” She picked up a knife and began playing with it. “Are you sure she would have given you one?”
“I suppose, if I’d asked for it.”
Madgie smiled mistrustfully. “But why didn’t you ask for it when you left?”
“It was late and Miss Norma had just come home from Savannah and I didn’t like to bother her about it.” She paused and looked directly at Madgie. “You didn’t ask me for a reference when I came to work for you, Miss Madgie.”
Madgie poured some coffee into her cup. She stirred the coffee thoughtfully while watching Kathyanne. “Well, never mind about that, Kathyanne. I suppose I did let it slip my mind at the time.”
“I’ll be glad to ask Miss Norma for a reference, Miss Madgie, if you want me to.”
“I said, never mind!” she spoke out with an agitated motion of her hands. “I don’t want to be bothered with it now.” The momentary irritation passed. Presently she was looking up again at Kathyanne and smiling ingratiatingly. “Tell me, Kathyanne,” she said, “what kind of meals does Mrs. Swayne serve? Do they have just ordinary plain cooking when there’s no company, or do they generally have expensive cuts of meat and vegetables out of season—just what do they eat?”
Kathyanne knew, by the tone of her voice and by her ingratiating manner, that she was curious about the living standard of the Swaynes and hoped to find out, at last, something she had wanted to know for a long time. Kathyanne wanted to evade the questioning, because she knew any comment she might make, no matter how carefully she worded it, would more than likely furnish the basis for gossip among the women in town for weeks to come. She could see Madgie watching her, with unconcealed anticipation, while she tried to think what she could say. She felt loyal to Norma, because she had never before worked for anyone who treated her so considerately, and she wished she could have stayed to work for her. But she must say something, for she could see the impatient look on Madgie’s face. She was determined that, no matter how insistent Madgie became, she was not going to say anything that might be used against her.
“Miss Norma’s meals are just about like the ones you serve, Miss Madgie,” she replied at last.
Madgie was disappointed, but not discouraged. She had waited for this opportunity ever since Kathyanne came to work for her, and she intended to take full advantage of it.
“Now, Kathyanne,” she said with a condescending smile, “you know you can trust me. I wouldn’t dream of repeating one single word you told me in confidence. Norma Swayne is one of my dearest friends, anyway. I wouldn’t dream of repeating anything that would hurt her feelings. I’m just not that kind. Everybody knows that.”
“Her meals are just about the same as yours, Miss Madgie,” she steadfastly maintained. “They often have fried chicken and rice and cow peas, just like we’ve had lots of times since I came to work for you.”
“Mr. Pugh happens to like fried chicken and rice and cow peas,” she said rather stiffly, with a defensive toss of her head. “I always try to give Mr. Pugh what he likes. I think every wife should.” With a sigh she gazed thoughtfully at the water glass she was twisting with her fingers. Several moments passed before she spoke again. “Well,” she said as though talking to herself alone, “with all the money everybody says she has in her own right, I
Kathyanne felt weak with disappointment. She gripped the back of the chair with both hands. Madgie was smiling with a superior arching of her eyebrows.
“I didn’t ask for one, Miss Madgie.”
“You didn’t?” she remarked with increased interest. “And why not, Kathyanne?”
“I didn’t ask for one at the time, and I just never went back for it.”
“Are you sure that’s the reason, Kathyanne?” She picked up a knife and began playing with it. “Are you sure she would have given you one?”
“I suppose, if I’d asked for it.”
Madgie smiled mistrustfully. “But why didn’t you ask for it when you left?”
“It was late and Miss Norma had just come home from Savannah and I didn’t like to bother her about it.” She paused and looked directly at Madgie. “You didn’t ask me for a reference when I came to work for you, Miss Madgie.”
Madgie poured some coffee into her cup. She stirred the coffee thoughtfully while watching Kathyanne. “Well, never mind about that, Kathyanne. I suppose I did let it slip my mind at the time.”
“I’ll be glad to ask Miss Norma for a reference, Miss Madgie, if you want me to.”
“I said, never mind!” she spoke out with an agitated motion of her hands. “I don’t want to be bothered with it now.” The momentary irritation passed. Presently she was looking up again at Kathyanne and smiling ingratiatingly. “Tell me, Kathyanne,” she said, “what kind of meals does Mrs. Swayne serve? Do they have just ordinary plain cooking when there’s no company, or do they generally have expensive cuts of meat and vegetables out of season—just what do they eat?”
Kathyanne knew, by the tone of her voice and by her ingratiating manner, that she was curious about the living standard of the Swaynes and hoped to find out, at last, something she had wanted to know for a long time. Kathyanne wanted to evade the questioning, because she knew any comment she might make, no matter how carefully she worded it, would more than likely furnish the basis for gossip among the women in town for weeks to come. She could see Madgie watching her, with unconcealed anticipation, while she tried to think what she could say. She felt loyal to Norma, because she had never before worked for anyone who treated her so considerately, and she wished she could have stayed to work for her. But she must say something, for she could see the impatient look on Madgie’s face. She was determined that, no matter how insistent Madgie became, she was not going to say anything that might be used against her.
“Miss Norma’s meals are just about like the ones you serve, Miss Madgie,” she replied at last.
Madgie was disappointed, but not discouraged. She had waited for this opportunity ever since Kathyanne came to work for her, and she intended to take full advantage of it.
“Now, Kathyanne,” she said with a condescending smile, “you know you can trust me. I wouldn’t dream of repeating one single word you told me in confidence. Norma Swayne is one of my dearest friends, anyway. I wouldn’t dream of repeating anything that would hurt her feelings. I’m just not that kind. Everybody knows that.”
“Her meals are just about the same as yours, Miss Madgie,” she steadfastly maintained. “They often have fried chicken and rice and cow peas, just like we’ve had lots of times since I came to work for you.”
“Mr. Pugh happens to like fried chicken and rice and cow peas,” she said rather stiffly, with a defensive toss of her head. “I always try to give Mr. Pugh what he likes. I think every wife should.” With a sigh she gazed thoughtfully at the water glass she was twisting with her fingers. Several moments passed before she spoke again. “Well,” she said as though talking to herself alone, “with all the money everybody says she has in her own right, I
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