"Preach!" Polly almost shouted. She looked at him with genuine
alarm this time.
"That will do, Mandy," Douglas commanded, feeling an unwelcome
drama gathering about his head.
"Great Barnum and Bailey!" Polly exclaimed, looking at him as
though he were the very last thing in the world she had ever
expected to see. "Are you a skypilot?"
"That's what he am, chile." Mandy slipped the words in slyly,
for she knew that they were against the pastor's wishes, but she
was unable to restrain her mischievous impulse to sow the seeds
of curiosity that would soon bear fruit in the inquisitive mind
of the little invalid.
"Will you get onto me a-landin' into a mix-up like this?" She
continued to study the uncomfortable man at her side. "I never
thought I'd be a-talkin'to one of you guys. What's your name?"
"Douglas." He spoke shortly.
"Ain't you got no handle to it?"
"If you mean my Christian name, it's John."
"Well, that sounds like a skypilot, all right. But you don't
look like I s'posed they did."
"Why not?"
"I always s'posed skypilots was old and grouchy-like. You're
a'most as good lookin' as our strong man."
"I done tole him he was too good-lookin' to be an unmarried
parson," Mandy chuckled, more and more amused at the pastor's
discomfort.
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