ng off sudden
when Busby an' she is thinkin' about other things that she begins
twitchin' the minute the bell begins ringin' an' they've had to hire a
electric battery to soothe her with while Faith an' Maria is racin' for
the bell. Mrs. Macy says it's somethin' just awful first, last, an'
forever, an' Mrs. Lupey told her in confidence as it was Heaven's own
truth as they had n't none of them woke of their own accords once since
it was bought."

"What--" asked Mrs. Lathrop.

"Well, Mrs. Macy says she's a pretty good judge of sick folks an' she
judged Mrs. Kitts for all she was worth, an' she could n't feel as she
ought in politeness to say anythin' 'cause the Lupeys sent her the
round-trip ticket to go an' come back with. But she says just between
her an' me an' not to let it go any further, that to _her_ order of
thinkin' (an' she'll take her Bible oath to it anywhere) Mrs. Kitts
looks like one of those oldest survivor kinds as they print in the city
Sunday papers every week. She says she ain't got the quiet, give-up
manner of a person as is really quiet an' really givin' up--she's got
the spry air of a person as likes to keep the whole family jumpin' quick
whenever they speak. She says Mrs. Lupey says as she really does get
awful low just often enough to keep their courage up, but Mrs. Macy says
Mrs. Lupey is easy fooled because them's the sort as outlives all their
families in the end always. But seems as her gettin' low an' then
raisin' up again ain't the only tough part for it seems as she was so
low last fall that they really felt safe to send Maria up to the city to
buy their mournin' at a bargain sale for there's four of 'em an' they
want the veils thick so they'll look sorry from the outside anyhow. And
Maria did go, an'-- Well, Mrs. Lathrop, I will say as to hear about it
all does go through one even if it ain't my personal crape! Seems as the
clerk asked Maria if it was for a deep family mournin' or just a light
friendly mournin', an' Maria told him it was _goin'_ to be for her
grandmother. Seems he was n't very polite about it, coughed a good deal
behind his hand an' such doin's, until Maria got real vexed an' so mad
over thinkin' as maybe it was n't all coughin' as he was keepin' his
hand over that she lost her wits an' went to work an' bought most twice
the crape she needed just to show him as she was n't tryin' to save
nothin' on her grandmother, whatever _he_ might think. So now Mrs. Macy
says, added t