she did n't stop. Seemed like ploughin' through
the minister's family only give her fresh strength. She kept right
straight on down the crick road, 'n' jus' by the ditch she come on Mr.
'n' Mrs. Jilkins. They was comin' up to town to spend the night with
the Whites, 'n' they had the green 'n' yellow parasol all done up to
send to Mrs. Jilkins' niece along with 'em. The cow was 's unexpected
to them as to every one else, 'n' she hit the parasol right square in
the middle. It broke, 'n' the wires all bust out 'n' punched Mr.
Jilkins full o' holes afore he had time to point it at his wife. She
got her share anyhow, though, f'r that dog's nose handle caught her
right aroun' her leg 'n' throwed her head foremost into the ditch.

"'N' the cow did n't stop then! She rushed right along, 'n' on the
first bridge was Mrs. Macy. She was standin' wonderin' what was to pay
up the road, 'n' then she see it was a cow. Well, Mrs. Lathrop, you
know what Mrs. Macy is on cows. I hear her say one day as she 'd
rather have a mouse run up her skirts any day 'n a cow. She told me 't
she often go 'way round by Cherry Pond sooner 'n be alone with one in
the road, 'n' such bein' the case, you can't suppose but what she was
mortal scared. Her story is 's she only had time to see its horns 'n'
the wildness of its eyes afore she never _will_ know what did possess
her. She never see a cow that near in all her life before, 'n' she
says 'f that 's the way they look face to, she ain't surprised 't
folks sit a little back when milkin'. It was nigh to on to her, 'n'
you know yourself 't the bridge is narrow 'n' Mrs. Macy ain't. Well,
Mrs. Lathrop, you c'n believe me or not jus' 's you please, 'cause it
'll be Mrs. Macy 's you 'll be doubtin' anyhow, but this is what she
says happened. The bridge is _here_, you know," Susan laid off the
plan on her knee, "'n' the road is _here_. The cow was runnin' like
mad along _here_, 'n' Mrs. Macy was white 'n' tremblin' so 't the
whole bridge shook under her, right atop of it. She says to her dyin'
day she 'll never see how she done it, but she jus' grabbed her
skirts, spread 'em out wide 'n' said 'Shoo!' 's loud 's she could. Her
story is 't the cow stopped, like she was struck dumb that second;
then she reared up 's pretty a rear 's Mrs. Macy 'll ever ask to see,
'n' then she fell sideways into the mill-race. The water was on full
'n' she went right down 'n' into the mill-wheel, 'n' some of her
caught in it 'n' she