commented simply, when they found themselves adjusted as of old, "'n'
come to think it over I really did hear quite a piece o' news in town.
Mrs. Duruy says she's set Felicia Hemans to makin' Sam some shirts 'n'
Sam is runnin' the sewin'-machine for 'em. Now o' course 'f it comes
to such doin's the first day any one can figger on a week ahead, 'n' I
had a good mind to say 's much to Mrs. Duruy, but then I thought if I
had it in me to do any warnin' I'd best warn Felicia, 'n' as far 's my
experience goes a woman afore she marries a man always admires him
full 's much or maybe even more 'n' his own mother can, so it's breath
wasted to try 'n' tell either of 'em a plain truth about him. Now you
know, Mrs. Lathrop, 's I was never one to waste my breath, so when
Mrs. Duruy said 's she was thinkin' o' goin' over to Meadville to
visit her cousin, now 's she had somebody to keep her house for her, I
jus' remarked as I hoped she'd get her house back when she come back
'n' let it go at that. Mrs. Allen was in after mail, 'n' she said
Brunhilde Susan was in bed, 'n' the cow was all milked for the night,
'n' her mind was easy over 'em both; 'n' Gran'ma Mullins was to the
drug-store after some quinine to put on little Jane's thumb. She says
this week as she has little Jane she 'll jus' cure her o'
thumb-suckin' once an' f'r all time by keepin' it dipped in quinine.
"I didn't see none o' the others, but I didn't hear o' their bein' in
difficulties, so I come home. Mrs. Macy says Roxana sits 'n' weeps
straight along, but she says she didn't have no choice as to her
drawin', for between her bein' No. 9 'n' only havin' a trundle-bed
Roxana was just forced right down her throat, so she ain't botherin'
over her a _tall_. She come out to make calls this afternoon, 'n' she
says she sh'll see to her own marketin' same 's ever, 'n' Roxana c'n
weep or not weep to suit herself."
"I'm glad you--" said Mrs. Lathrop thoughtfully.
"I am too," said Susan quickly, "I'm glad 'n' I sh'll always stay
glad. I just had that one time o' carin' for children, 'n' the Lord
dealt me a lion instid of a baby, 'n' I 'm free to confess 't I've
never seen no occasion to say other than Thy Will be Done. The
sparrows do build awful in the notches of that lion, 'n' the nest in
his mouth aggravates me so I d'n' know what to do some days, but still
when all's said 'n' done a sparrow's nest in the mouth of your
father's tombstone ain't any such trial as gettin' a child to bed
nights 'n' keepin' its hands clean would be. 'N' if I had adopted a
child, Mrs. Lathrop, I sh'd cert'nly 'a' kept it clean, f'r, if you'll
excuse me remarkin' it right in your face, I was raised to wash 'n'
dust 'n' be neat. That's why that nest in my lion's mouth with the
straws stickin' every way do try me so. Mr. Kimball 's forever askin'
me if the lion 's raisin' a beard against the winter, 'n' the other
day he said he was give to understand 't it was tippin' a little, 'n'
I was recommended to brace him up by givin' him raw eggs for his
breakfast. Well, maybe all Mr. Kimball says is very witty, but it's a
poor kind o' wit, I think. He makes good enough jokes about the rest
of the c'mmunity, but I may tell you in confidence, Mrs. Lathrop, 't I
ain't never heard one joke 't he's told on me 't I considered even
half-way amusin'."
Mrs. Lathrop shook her head sadly.
Then they went in.
The Sunday which followed this particular Saturday was of a heat truly
tropical. All the blinds of the Clegg and Lathrop houses stayed
tightly closed all day, and it is only fair to surmise that those who
remained behind them were not sorry that the minister's absence
allowed them to do so with a clear conscience.
But about half-past seven in the evening Susan's shutters began to
bang open with a succession of blast-like reports, and shortly after
she emerged from her kitchen door and started down town. Mrs. Lathrop,
who was of course cognizant of every movement on her neighbor's part,
saw her go and made haste to be ready against her home-coming. To that
end she set her front door hospitably open, drew two rockers out upon
the porch, laid a palm-leaf fan in one, and deposited herself in the
other.
It was nearly an hour before Miss Clegg returned from town. She
appeared very warm, but pleased with herself for having gone. As she
sank down in the chair and began to agitate the fan, Mrs. Lathrop's
eyes fairly gleamed with anticipation.
"I s'pose--" she began.
"Well, no," said Susan, "seems they ain't, after all. The air down
town is more like a revival than anythin' else, everybody 's up
tellin' their experience an' callin' out on Heaven to save 'em. 'N'
the worst of all is Mrs. Brown!--she _never_ knew 't Henry Ward
Beecher walks in his sleep! No more did I nor nobody else, 'n' I must
say 't I do think 't the minister 'd ought to 'a' told some of us so's
we could 'a' been a little prepared, for there's many a night 's I've
left clothes out on the line 's I'd never risked 'f I'd been aware o'
the possibility o' Henry Ward Beecher bein' broad-cast. Mrs. Brown
says, though, 's it ain't his walkin' in his sleep as is troublin'
her, it's his eatin' in his walkin'. Mrs. Lathrop, you never hear the
like o' what she told me! It's beyond all belief! He eat the Sunday
layer-cake 'n' the Sunday-dinner pie 'n' the whole week's tin o'
doughnuts, 'n' then went back to bed 'n' never turned a hair. Why, she
says she never _did_--in all her life. She says when she see the jelly
streaks on the bed an' felt his sticky door-knob, she was all used up,
for Babes in the Woods was criminal beside the way he looked to be
sleepin'. 'N' he don't remember nothin' a _tall_ to-day, not one
livin' doughnut does that boy recolleck, 'n' she says 'f she didn't
know it to be so on a'count o' the empty tin she'd doubt herself an'
believe him by choice, he looks so truthful. But empty tins is empty
tins, 'n' no one can deny that fact.
"I see Mrs. Craig too. Mrs. Craig's some altered as to her yesterday's
view in regard to Augustus. That cat 't she makes so much over 's
gone, 'n' she's most crazy as a consequence. It's him as she warms her
feet on winters, 'n' when I asked her how under the sun she come to
feel the need o' it to-day she didn't even smile. She says she asked
Augustus right off 's quick 's she missed it, 'n' all he said was,
'Wash zhat? Zhat a cat? Zhi a cat? Zhu a cat?' 'n' she see 't there
wasn't no information to be got out o' him. She says, though, that if
you bar the cat he's pretty good, only he's so tiresome. He follows
her all over, sayin', 'Wash zhat? Zhat a hair-pin? Zhi a hair-pin? Zhu
a hair-pin?' She says it ain't nothin' to really complain of, but it's
gettin' a little wearin', 'n' she was lookin' more worried 'n her talk
bore out, but Miss White come up 'n' begun about Fox, 'n' that kind o'
ended Augustus. Miss White says 'f the minister wanted to name a child
after Fox's Martyrs he was welcome, but she 'n' her family never
bargained on bein' the martyrs. She says 't Fox takes fits o' yellin'
'n' when he begins he don't never stop. Her mother's deaf, 'n' said to
let the child yell it out 'n' teach him a lesson, but Deacon White has
got his ears same as ever, 'n' he couldn't stand the noise, 'n' so he
hired Fox to stop by promisin' him a trumpet 's soon as the store is
open to-morrow mornin'. Miss White says her mother said buyin'
trumpets was a poor kind o' discipline, 'n' Mrs. Fisher come along
just then 'n' said her notion o' discipline was rewardin' the good
instead o' the bad, 'n' 't she was goin' to give John Bunyan a dish o'
cookies to keep in his washstand drawer, 'cause he went out in the
garden this mornin' while Mr. Fisher was down for the mail, 'n' he
tried his last night's lesson in graftin' on things in general there,
'n' he grafted corn 'n' potatoes 'n' asparagus all back 'n' forth 'n'
killed 'em all. She says Mr. Fisher was awful mad 'n' wanted to shake
John Bunyan, but she jus' up 'n' told Mr. Fisher 't she'd been tellin'
him 't there was a mighty big difference between theory 'n' practice
f'r these many years, 'n' 't now John Bunyan was sent by the hand o'
Providence to show him jus' what she meant.
"I see Mrs. Macy too, 'n' she's happy for the whole town. Seems Roxana
was so lonesome for the other dozen 't she jus' sat 'n' rolled down
tears steady, 'n' this afternoon when Mrs. Sperrit drove in to see her
sister she jus' took Roxana home with her. She says Roxana 'll be
happy with Bobby on the farm, 'n' it's easy to be seen as Mrs. Maxwell
is envyin' Mrs. Macy, for she says 't it's as plain 's the nose on the
outside o' your face 't 'Liza Em'ly 's nothin' to rip."
Miss Clegg ceased speech to rock and fan for a minute or two.
"Did you see--" asked Mrs. Lathrop.
"I see every one almost," replied the other. "I see Polly Allen
wheelin' Brunhilde Susan around the square. Polly said 't the heat was
hard on the cow 'n' hard on Brunhilde Susan. She says the cow's got to
have suthin' on 'n' Brunhilde Susan's got to have everythin' off or
they ain't neither of them peaceable to live with long. I ain't so
happy over Brunhilde Susan 's I would be if she had more sense. She
was cryin' 'Moo--moo' at every dog she see, 'n' I give her a nickel to
keep her quiet, 'n' then she up 'n' lost it. We hunted an' hunted 'n'
did everythin' in kingdom come to find it--for I naturally didn't feel
to come away without it--'n' finally Polly said 's she must 'a'
swallowed it, 'n' she asked her, 'n' she said 'Yes,' 'n' I was more 'n
disgusted. It was a full minute before I could remember to thank my
stars as it wasn't a half-dollar--'s it might easy 'a' been, for bein'
the namesake of a child kind o' obliges you to be nice to 'em.
Brunhilde Susan can't never expect to get nothin' out o' her front
half, for I was give to understand 't the Brunhilde 's Felicia Hemans
was so book-took with is long dead, 'Dragged at horses' tails,' she
had the face to tell me--the joint godmother!--''N' who by?' I
couldn't in decency but ask.--'By the horses,' says Felicia Hemans,
a-gigglin' fit to beat the band. Well, Mrs. Lathrop, I'm pretty
patient with the young in general, but I must say 's I can't but feel
't when them shirts o' Sam Duruy's is done 'n' their consequences is
added up, it's a even thing which draws the least,--him or Felicia.
Mrs. Macy told me 't Mrs. Duruy has her things all washed 'n' ironed
to go to Meadville to-morrow, 'n' I reckon 't a woman 's is as blind
's that 'll be jus' 's happy in Meadville as anywhere else."
Susan paused and rose from her seat.
"Are you a--" said Mrs. Lathrop.
"Looks like it, don't it?" replied Miss Clegg. "'S a matter o' fact,
Mrs. Lathrop, I'm that hot 'n' tired 'd it 'd take a long sight more
'n you to keep me any longer, so I 'll say good-bye 'n' go."
* * * * *
On Monday the thermometer bounded higher than ever. It was wash-day
too, which rendered one half of the community infinitely hotter yet.
As the burden of the minister's vacation fell upon the same half that
the washing did, one might have looked for very little friendly
exchanging of personal trials on the evening that followed such a
trying day. Susan felt such to be the case and concluded not to try
and go down town. Mrs. Lathrop took two or three wilted clovers, and
sat on her steps and chewed submissively after tea,--too much overcome
even to waft a questioning glance across the interim of parched grass
which stretched between her kitchen stoop and that of her friend; but
the latter saw her sitting there and felt a keen, remorseful stab.
"I guess I 'll go down in the square f'r jus' five minutes," she
called to the dejected figure, and forthwith sallied out to the
conflict.
The five minutes stretched to an hour, and Mrs. Lathrop was frankly
asleep when her vigil was terminated by her neighbor's return. The
latter came up and sat down on the steps, heaving a mighty sigh as she
did so.
"Well, I see Mrs. Brown," she began in a tone of reminiscent sympathy,
"'n' I can tell you 't Mrs. Brown is in a situation not to be lightly
sneezed over."
"What did--" remarked Mrs. Lathrop, rubbing her eyes.
"What did Henry Ward Beecher do? Well, he jus' up 'n' did the same 's
the night afore. Ate the Sons o' Veterans' pudding 's Mrs. Brown had
all ready for the Lodge meetin', 'n' all the baked beans 's was for
to-day's luncheon too. She says she never dreamed as no human bein'
could hold what that boy can. She says young Dr. Brown says 't he
wants to come 'n' observe him to-night 'f he don't have to go over to
Meadville to get two of his saws sharpened. Mrs. Brown says he says
he's goin' to write a paper for the Investigatin' Society, but I don't
see how that's goin' to help the Sons o' Veterans none. Doctors'
observations 'n' investigations 's all right 's far 's they go, but I
don' fancy as they can be made to take the place o' no eat up puddin'
inside o' no son of a veteran. 'N' anyhow, Henry Ward Beecher or no
Henry Ward Beecher, Mrs. Craig 's jus' about frantic over her cat. She
says there's cat's hair everywhere 'n' the cat ain't nowhere. She was
doin' out her churnin' 'n' she found some hairs in the butter. I asked
her 'f maybe Augustus hadn't fed the cat to the cow, 'n' she says they
thought o' that, but her husband says 't ain't possible, for there
ain't room for a cat to turn over in the place where a cow turns
everything over afore she swallows it. Mrs. Craig says, besides, 't
she asked Augustus, but he jus' said, 'Wash zhat?--Zhat a cow?--Zhi a
cow?--Zhu a cow?' 'n' she see plain 'n' forever where he got the name
o' bein' so bad, for she was dyin' to switch him 'n' couldn't in honor
say as she had any real reason to. But all the same she says she's as
sure as Fate 't him 'n' no one else 's at the bottom o' her cat--only
how in all creation are you to get it out o' him? She says there was
hairs in the washtub 'n' hairs in the bluein', 'n' when she gathered
the sweet peas afore supper she see a hair on a sweet-pea pod. While
we was talkin' suthin' tickled her 'n' she found a hair in her collar.
"Gran'ma Mullins came along up from the crick while we was talkin',
'n' she had her tale o' woe same 's the rest. Seems little Jane 's
quit her thumb, owin' to the quinine, 'n' took to bitin' holes 'n'
chewin' 'n' suckin' everythin' that she can lay hands on. She's chewed
her pillow-slip 'n' bit her sheet 'n' sucked right down to the brass
on a number o' Gran'ma Mullins' solid silver things. They've tried
scoldin' 'n' slappin', but she jus' keeps her mouth on the rampage,
'n' they can't get her to go back to her thumb f'r love nor money.
Mrs. Brown said she'd be glad to trade Henry Ward Beecher for little
Jane, 'n' I strongly advised her to do it, f'r to my mind a chewin'
child 's more to be counted on than a eatin' sleep-walker, but we was
evidently all o' the same way o' thinkin, f'r Gran'ma Mullins shook
her head 'n' wouldn't change.
"I see Felicia Hemans down buyin' suthin' with Sam along with a basket
to carry it home in. I asked 'f Mrs. Duruy was gone, 'n' they said
yes, 'n' Sam grinned 'n' Felicia giggled, same 's usual. I c'n see 't
the Allens is all put out 't Sam's bein' around with any one but
Polly, 'n' Mrs. Allen asked me 'f I really thought Mrs. Duruy 'd ought
to 'a' gone off like that. I said I thought it was a awful risk for
Felicia Hemans 'cause o' course she _might_ marry Sam in consequence.
Mrs. Allen didn't like it, 'n' she bounced Brunhilde Susan's
carriage-springs so hard 't she made Brunhilde Susan wake up. Mr.
Kimball was out in front o' his store, 'n' he hollered across to me 't
he was giv' to understand as Brunhilde Susan was learnin' to hang onto
money already. Every one laughed, 'n' I declare 't for the life o' me
I don't see how no one c'n make a joke over a baby's swallowin' a lent
nickel."
"Who--" queried Mrs. Lathrop.
"Well, Mrs. Fisher was one of 'em. She did sort of explain it away
afterwards, though. She said she was so happy she laughed at any
nothin' at all. Seems Mr. Fisher set John Bunyan to cuttin' the grass,
'n' the boy went 'n' sheared right over the bed o' petunias. Seems
them petunias was the apple o' Mr. Fisher's eye 'n' he wanted a dish
of 'em with every meal. Mrs. Fisher says 't to her mind a woman has
work enough gettin' the meals without havin' to get petunias too, 'n'
she was nothin' but glad to see what a clean shave John Bunyan made o'
the whole thing. She was down town buyin' him some marbles. She went
into Shores after 'em, an' she 'n' Miss White come out together. I
know suthin' had happened the minute I see Miss White's face, f'r
angels chantin' glory was nothin' to it. Do you know, Mrs. Lathrop,
that Fox never lived up to the trumpet bargain one hour, but jus'
yelled 'n' blew alternate, till the Deacon was nigh to deaf 'n' old
Mrs. White begun to hear, 'n' they was all 'most fit for the Insane
Asylum when Mrs. Sperrit come in to leave a skirt for new braid, 'n'
she jus' up 'n' took Fox home with her. She says 't he can make all
the noise he wants to out on the farm, 'n' the Whites is all but in
Paradise as a result."
"I sh'd think--" suggested Mrs. Lathrop.
"Well, I d'n' know," said Susan; "you may think so, but you didn't
look like it when I come. You looked to be asleep, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n'
bein' 's to-day's been a hot Monday 'n' to-morrow 'll likely be a hot
Tuesday, I feel some inclined that way myself. So good-night."
* * * * *
Susan's prophecy as to what the next day would be came true. It was a
scorching Tuesday, and nothing but the feast of gossip which "the
square" held upon this particular week could ever have drawn a crowd
there on so sultry a night.
"But every one was out," she told Mrs. Lathrop, as they met by the
fence along towards nine o'clock, "'n' oh my! you'd ought to 'a' been
there. Mrs. Craig's found her cat, 'n' that takes the lead, for she
come back of her own accord from a place where no one 'd ever 'a'
expected her to come back from."
"Where did--" asked Mrs. Lathrop eagerly.
"Come up in the well-bucket," replied Miss Clegg promptly,--"she come
up in the well-bucket this afternoon all but her tail, 'n' they think
Augustus must 'a' strained that throwin' her in by it 'n' so it soaked
off extra easy. Mrs. Craig went for him the minute she see the cat,
but, lor', you can't get nothin' out o' Augustus; he jus' said, 'Wash
zhat?--Zhat a cat?--Zhi a cat?--Zhu a cat?' 'n' Mrs. Craig was too mad
f'r words. She says 't they've been noticin' a curious taste in the
water, but not bein' in the habit o' drinkin' the house cat, they
never thought of its bein' him. She's troubled over findin' the cat
'n' troubled some more over not findin' the tail. She says Mr. Craig
says 't he wouldn't consider for one second cleanin' out a well for a
trifle like a cat's tail, 'n' yet, for her part, she ain't noways
inclined to keep on livin' on cat's hairs indefinitely. She says 't
Mr. Craig says 't she can easy fish the tail up with the well-bucket,
but fishin' for suthin' 's you can't see ain't so funny as a woman's
husband 's apt to make out. 'S far 's my observation 's 'xtended, a
man always gives his wife to understand that what'd be a bother or
mebbe impossible for him to do 'll be jus' a pleasant afternoon for
her. I took it on myself to tell her that very same thing. 'Let him
fish that tail himself for a day or two,' I says; 'about the six
hundred an' fortieth time 't he winds up that bucket 'n' finds himself
still short o' that tail I'll venture my guess 't he won't find the
joke 's fine 's he did at first.' But she was too used up to know when
she was havin' good common-sense talked to her; she jus' kep' wipin'
her eyes, 'n' then Mrs. Sperrit drove up 'n' the whole rigmarole had
to be gone over again for her. I mus' say that she behaved kind of
un-neighborly, f'r she laughed fit to kill herself, 'n' Mrs. Craig was
nigh to put out over such doin's,--'n' the cat not dead a week yet;
but when Mrs. Sperrit got through laughin' she made up f'r it all, for
she said if Mrs. Craig was willin' she'd take Augustus home with her.
Mrs. Craig couldn't believe she was in earnest at first, 'n' then she
wept again with sheer joy. 'N' what _do_ you think 't Mrs. Sperrit
did?--Took Augustus straight across to Mr. Shores 'n' bought a
dog-collar 'n' a chain for him 'n' buckled it on right then and there.
'I'll engage he don't throw no cats down no wells out on the farm,'
she says, 'n' then off she drove with the youngster sittin' up beside
her prim 's a poodle."
"Did you hear--" asked Mrs. Lathrop, chewing pleasantly.
"I see Mrs. Brown," Susan continued calmly,--"she was down in the
square. Seems 't young Dr. Brown didn't get to observe Henry Ward
Beecher like he expected. He 'n' Amelia went over to Meadville, 'n'
mebbe they'll go on to the city from there, f'r his practice is
spreadin' so 't he's got to buy a bigger borin'-machine, 'n' he wants
a lot more bastin' thread an' needles. But Henry Ward Beecher was up
'n' doin' as usual last night. He skum two pans o' milk 'n' didn't put
the covers back, so a June bug got in. Mrs. Brown says Mrs. Craig 's
welcome to drink her cat if she favors the idea, but she ain't
drinkin' no June bugs herself, so she had to give the complete pan to
the pigs. 'N' he eat more too!--he eat ajar o' watermelon pickles 'n'
all the calves-foot jelly 't was all ready f'r old Mrs. Grace. It's a
serious matter about the jelly, for Mrs. Grace 's most dead 'n' all
the calves in town is alive, 'n' so where any more jelly 's to be got
in time the Lord only knows. Mrs. Brown thinks some one 'd ought to
write to the minister; she says it ain't possible 's he's always eat
like this nights 'n' she wants to know how to put a stop to it. Mrs.
Allen thinks 't some one 'd ought to write to the minister too. She
says 't Sam 'n' Felicia was down on the bridge last night a-holdin'
hands. She says Polly saw 'em.
"'N' Gran'ma Mullins is another as thinks 't some one 'd ought to
write to the minister. She was down town a-buyin' some honey to put on
little Jane's thumb. She's all but stark mad. She says mice 'n' moths
is goin' to be mere jokes to her hereafter. She says 'f the minister
don't come back soon little Jane 'll have her sucked out o' bed 'n'
board. She says little Jane 's like him in the history 't where he
chewed the grass never grew again. There seems to be considerable
anxiety 's to when the minister 'll get back. Nobody thought to ask
him where he was goin', 'n' as a consequence nobody knows where he's
gone. Nobody thought to ask him when he was comin' back, 'n' 's a
consequence no one knows when he's thinkin' o' comin' back. Mr.
Kimball says 't his view o' the matter is as the minister was tired o'
havin' thirteen children 'n' is gone off somewhere else to begin all
over. Fun or not, the idea 's sort of upset every one. They went down
to see where he bought his ticket for, but Johnny says he only took it
to the junction, 'n' my own experience is 't a junction may lead to
'most anythin'. Mrs. Macy says 's there's only one way to be sure
whether he's gone for good or not, 'n' that is to go up to the house
'n' see whether he took his ear-muffs along, for it stands to reason
't any man who 'd pack his ear-muffs a week like this ain't intendin'
to ever return. Every one see the sense o' that, 'n' so Mrs. Macy 's
app'inted herself to go 'n' look the house over to-morrow mornin'. I
must say 't 'f she don't find them ear-muffs the c'mmunity 'll be
pretty blue to-morrow night. No one knew how fond they was of the
minister until they begin to find out what them thirteen childern come
to when you add 'em all up separately. I d'n' know's I ever was so
glad of anythin' in my life 's I am that I drew No. 14 out o' Mrs.
Craig's sugar-bowl. Fate 's a strange thing when you look it under 'n'
over 'n' hind end to, Mrs. Lathrop,--there was me drawin' No. 14 'n'
Mrs. Craig herself gettin' Augustus, 'n' all on account of a
sugar-bowl, 'n' that sugar-bowl hers 'n' not mine."
Mrs. Lathrop applied her clover, but said nothing.
"Well, I d'n' know as there's any good to be gained out o' our
standin' here chattin' any longer. We'd better be gettin' to bed 'n'
thankin' our merciful Father 't we hav'n't got none o' the minister's
children, 'n' that's a prayer 's not many c'n put up this night."
Mrs. Lathrop threw her clover away and returned to her own domicile.
* * * * *
On Wednesday, between the intense heat and the equally intense
excitement engendered by Mr. Kimball's suggestion, the town was rife
with a hive-like tumult. Miss Clegg went down to return Mrs. Macy's
call soon after dinner, and when she got back it was all of six. Mrs.
Lathrop was so anxious to hear the latest news from the seat of war
that she had prepared a company tea by the dining-room window and
hailed Susan directly she was near enough to hail.
"I want you to come to--" she cried.
"Well, I believe I will," her friend answered cordially. "I believe
I'd really enjoy to pervided you ain't got nothin' with dried currants
in it. They say the heathen Chinese eat flies for currants, but I
never was no heathen Chinese."
"I ain't got--" Mrs. Lathrop assured her.
"Then I'll come 's soon 's I c'n get my bonnet off," Susan answered,
and proceeded to unlock her own domain and enter into the sacred
precincts thereof.
Ten minutes later the friends sat on opposite sides of Mrs. Lathrop's
hospitality.
"I s'pose 't a good deal--" began the older woman, as she poured out
the tea.