ad two more ahead o' you. The whole
six is ahead now, 'n' instid o' wrigglin' 'n' sighin', you'd ought to
think how good it is as I'm here to take care o' you. I must say 't,
to my order o' thinkin', your leg is goin' to be pretty nigh 's hard
on me 's on you. 'F I can't trust Jathrop to so much 's carry a tray
after I've been to all the bother o' cookin' it, it stands to reason
's I must be kitin' with 'em all day long. I'm very friendly with you,
Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' whether single or two-legged I'd never but wish you
well; still, I _am_ a rich woman, 'n' bein' a rich woman, it does seem
kind o' hard for me to have to slave back 'n' forth over the fence for
six weeks; but, such bein' the case, it strikes me 't, of us two, you
certainly ain't the one 's 'd ought to be doin' the groanin'."

Mrs. Lathrop appeared contrite and dumb.

"I guess I'll go 'n' get supper now," said her visitor, rising; "when
it's got I'll bring you over some. I ain't goin' to trust Jathrop with
nothin' again, I know. To think o' his eatin' your dinner! I must say,
Mrs. Lathrop, 't if you was cut out to be a mother, it certainly seems
a pity 't you never got beyond Jathrop, for no one 's ever see him
could believe it of you. However, I don't suppose 's any one in their
senses could blame you f'r stoppin' right off short when you see what
you 'd gone 'n' done the first time."

Mrs. Lathrop made no attempt to reply. Miss Clegg left the room, and
returned not until she came with the supper.

"I did n't see Jathrop nowhere," she announced as she entered, "but
the cow 's goin' on jus' awful."

"Jathrop 's gone for the--"

"Well, I _am_ glad. The butcher 's the only one 's 'd ought to go near
her. I persume I c'd 'a' milked her, 'n' 'f she 'd been my cow I w'd
'a' milked her, but bein' 's she wa'n't mine I did n't see no good 'n'
sufficient reason why I sh'd so much 's take a interest in her. I will
own 't I did sorter ache to see her kick Jathrop into kingdom come,
but the chances are 't he'd 'a' come out alive, 'n' so it would n't
'a' paid in the end. I 'll be glad to hear her stop mooin', though. I
was sick o' the noise afore she begun, 'n' she 's kep' right on ever
since."

Mrs. Lathrop ate a little and drank a little, looking blandly
non-committal as she did so. Miss Clegg rocked vigorously.

"I can't get that plaster out o' my head," she continued presently. "I
wonder if it won't give you rheumatism anyhow. Deacon White got
rheumatism fro