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Show 118 TWENTY-ONE Gram had been home over a month now, but she was still taking a vacation from housework. "Go on and sit down, I'll dry," Dyna shooed her grandmother out of the kitchen, having washed all the dishes herself. Still, preferring company, she was soon lounging in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, drying the handful of silverware where they could continue to talk. "How'd you get that old cuss to agree to a party?" Gram asked from the sofa, fetching the evening paper with the tip of her cane. "Oh, I guess I stretched the truth a bit," Dyna giggled. "Now tell me what you said." "I just told him everyone else in class had given a party except me. That was stretcher #1. Then I made a big case about you being gimpy and our house being so small. Stretcher #2." Dyna twirled the tea towel in the air. "Finally, I told him how I'd bragged about his pancakes at school-and that was the truth. Pretty soon he just up and asked me." Dyna lowered her voice to mimic Oscar's. "You can use my place to entertain if you'll help me clean it up." "Hrumph! He's always been soft on you, I know that." "Soft! You should've seen the list he handed me at the door last Saturday. He's a slave-driver!" Dyna walked back to the kitchen, followed by Gram's hearty laugh. It hadn't seemed very funny at the time. Dyna remembered how her back had ached after eight hours of polishing furniture and scrubbing those narrow hardwood boards. When five o'clock finally arrived, Oscar had to scrape her off the floor. At that, they'd only finished three rooms and the porch, which was where the kids would all end up, Oscar insisted. Quickly, Dyna put away the last dish and hung the towel to dry. "I wish you'd go tonight," she said to her grandmother. "The kids chipped in to buy the groceries. They especially included you." "I'd like to see Oscar's face when he learns they paid his taxes," Gram's own face crinkled. "It's a modern day miracle. Two more weeks and that place mighta been sold at public auction." "It took Mrs. Simpson so long," Dyna groaned. "She had to consult |