INTERESTING NEWS
"Reckness, no more. Yes, oh on my neck. But stop. I have to put my dress back on."
"But we just got it off, Mary."
"I have good news I forgot to tell you!"
"Eh?"
"My family is moving to Winoka. There's been some kind of thing with the railroads, and Walnut Grove is—well, there' s no money there. And our friends the Garveys are coming, too. And also the Olesons! Can you believe it? Harriet and Nellie? They were here briefly. Did I ever tell you that Miss Dalrymple's voice was almost just like Mrs. Oleson's?
"I'm going to be exhausted."
"What's that?"
"Take off your dress again. I'm going to show you something they call "French".
A NEW ASSOCIATE?
"So, kid, how do the shoes look? As you are aware, I can't check them myself."
"Well, I didn't have exact matching polish but I think they look okay. You can ask someone here on the street, and if they don't like them, I'll fix them. Or give you your penny back. It's a penny, by the way."
"Here's a dime."
"Wow. You sure?"
"Yes. You seem like an enterprising little chap. Would you be interested perhaps in making even more money? Delivering things and whatnot? Also, are you quiet?"
"I guess."
"I have an all-blind poker game, and I could show you the cards…you could walk around quietly. Give me a heads-up touching my back once for—"
"That's cheating, isn't it?"
"Please…don't be tiresome. You aren't the sort of Horatio Alger moralist bootblack, are you?"
"What?"
"Are you an impoverished shoeshine boy, or are you a pastor? Tell me quick."
"I guess I'm…okay. What do you want me to do for you?"
"Well, what's your name, son?"
"Albert."
"Just the front name?"
"We couldn't really afford two of them."