Sally patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Mack does not spread gossip. Ruth-Ann probably heard about the parties from a student in the hallway. Kids tend to think that teachers can’t hear their whispers.” She picked up her coat. “I’m going to an estate sale in Fredericksburg this morning. The advertisement said that it would open at ten and that there would be lots of crystal glassware. This younger generation doesn’t know what they’re passing up when their grannies offer to give them their priceless collections of pretty dishes.”

She hadn’t been gone but a few minutes when Lily’s second customer of the day arrived. By noon, she’d had a total of five. Two of them were small-time buyers and spent less than twenty dollars each. The other three made up for it. They came in together and said they had a shop in San Antonio that sold only items made in Texas. Lily showed them Granny Hayes’s shawls, scarves, and earrings, and they bought the entire stock for resale in their business.

When they’d left, Mack arrived with a brown bag in his hands. “I brought food,” he said. “Burgers and fries and root beer. Hope you haven’t eaten already.” He pulled two cans from the pockets of his denim coat.

“No, but I’m hungry.” She opened the bag as soon as he set it down. “Ruth-Ann came by this morning.”

“I already heard.” He got out the burgers and fries and set them on the counter. “That’s one of the reasons I’m here. Did she say anything about those river parties?”

“Nope.” Lily unwrapped a burger and took a bite.

“That’s good. The kids are all whispering about it in the hallways. I was afraid that you’d think I’d betrayed your confidence, and I’d never do that.” He unwrapped his burger. “I also wanted to see you.”

“Thank you for that. Why didn’t you bring enough food for Sally?”

“Because she’s over in Sisterdale at a sale and won’t be back until after lunch,” he replied.

“Fredericksburg,” Lily corrected him.

“She went there first, but now she’s in Sisterdale. There’s an antique dresser over there that she’s interested in buying. She sent a picture of it to the English teacher who is all excited about it and was showing off the picture of it in the teacher’s lounge. Sally is buying it for her,” Mack explained. “And Rose and Ivy have bragged too many times to too many people about those parties on Friday nights, but the older kids are moving the party out to Grandpa Opperman’s vacant barn. Don’t tell me that kids aren’t smart these days.”

“Devious and stupid is more like it.” Lily was glad that Holly wasn’t going to the party. “Grandpa Opperman has a shotgun and a temper.”