o' doubt but what you 'd ought to have old Dr. Carter 's fast 's he
could be raked over here from Meadville. She says legs is scarce
birds, 'n' you can't go lavishin' one on every young man 's is anxious
to build up a practice on you. She says how do you know 's it 's a
clean break 's you've got there anyhow? Maybe it 's a fracture. A
fracture 's when the bone splinters all to pieces 'n' fans out every
way inside o' your leg. O' course young Dr. Brown ain't got beyond
clean breaks yet, 'n' if you're splintered in place o' bein' clean you
don't want him to learn the difference at your cost. If you lose your
leg, Mrs. Lathrop, it certainly will be a awful thing for you. A woman
can't ever say 's she was a brakeman or in the war, 'n' them 's the
only good excuses 's can be give. Then, too, if you have a wooden leg
'n' the wind catches you at it, it'll take you in a way 's 'll make
you look more like a scarecrow 'n a Christian. Mrs. Macy says 't she
was speakin' to Mr. Kimball about you, 'n' he was nigh to serious f'r
once in his life. She says he says 't they take the hair off o'
horse-hides with plaster 'n' that wooden legs is very hard to get
comfortable. I s'pose the long 'n' short of it would be 't I'd have to
come over every mornin' 'n' hook it on to you,--'f it was left to
Jathrop he'd probably have you half o' the time with your toes
pointin' back 'n' your heel in front. C'n you feel it now?"

"Yes; I--"

"Then it's still there, but, Lord! how that cow does kick 'n' pull 'n'
moo! Why don't Jathrop do suthin' to her? She'd ought to be tended to.
When you come right square down to it, she ain't no more to blame f'r
kickin' you 'n' he is f'r lookin' like a frog. They was each made so.
But even then she'd ought to be milked jus' the same, 'n' Jathrop 'd
ought to be settin' at it."

"I don't want--"

"It's got to be him or me or the butcher, 'n' I must say I don't see
no good 'n' sufficient reason why it should be me. I didn't have
Jathrop, nor yet the cow, 'n' I don't see why I sh'd lay myself open
to bein' snapped off any where, jus' because your son 's half a
fool--the head half."

Mrs. Lathrop groaned.

"Now there ain't no use in _that_" said Susan firmly; "lots o' things
might be worse 'n they are. She might 'a' broken both your legs, or
she may break both his when he tries to milk her to-night. You must
look on the bright side, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' not twist aroun' like you'd
been in bed four weeks 'n' only h