human
What is it?
gpt
Why, I--Oh, Mrs. Staples! look what this is, will you?
human
E.G.
gpt
For the land's sake! ejaculated Mrs. Staples, coming nearer and grabbing the locket out of Ida's hand.
human
Where did you get this?
gpt
Why, Mrs. Staples, you saw me pick it up.
human
But how did it come there?
gpt
Oh, I know! Ida Bellethorne cried, with sudden animation.
human
That girl stood right there. She opened her bag to get out her purse and she must have flirted it out to the floor.
gpt
Humph!
human
Give it to me, Mrs. Staples, and I'll run after her,
gpt
Humph! This was Mrs. Staples' stock ejaculation and expressed a variety of emotions. Just now it expressed doubt.
human
And then you'd come back and tell me how thankful she was to get it, while maybe it doesn't belong to her at all. No, said Mrs. Staples,
gpt
Oh!
human
Perhaps she will never guess she dropped it here.
gpt
That's no skin off your nose, declared the vulgar shopwoman.
human
You've no rights in this thing, anyway. What's found on the floor of my shop is just as much mine as what's on the counter or in the trays behind the counter. I know my rights. Until whoever lost this thing comes in and proves property, it's mine.
gpt
Oh, Mrs. Staples! cried her employee.
human
Is that the law in this country? It doesn't seem honest.
gpt
Humph! It's honest enough for me. And who are you, I'd like to know, a greenhorn fresh from the old country, trying to tell me what's honest and what ain't? If that girl comes back----
human
Yes, Mrs. Staples?
gpt
You sell her that other blouse if you want to, or anything else out of the shop. But you keep your mouth shut about this locket unless she asks for it. Understand? I won't have no tattle-tales about me; and if you don't learn when to keep your mouth open and when to keep it shut, I'll have no use at all for you in my shop. Remember that now!