een right in front; but she was takin' her time, 'n' so she jus'
missed seein' Johnny hand in the telegram. I was standin' back to the
band-stand, tellin' Mrs. Allen my receipt for cabbage pickle, so I
never felt to blame myself none f'r not gettin' nearer quicker. The
first thing I recolleck was I says, ''N' then boil the vinegar again,'
'n' Mrs. Allen give a scream 'n' run. Then I turned 'n' see every one
runnin', 'n' Mr. Shores in the lead. They do say 's he was so crazy 't
first 't he seemed to think he c'd catch the Knoxville Express by
tearin' across the square. But he give out afore he reached Judge
Fitch's, 'n' Johnny 'n' Hiram Mullins had to carry him home. Well, it
was a bad business at first, 'n' when she kidnapped the baby 't was
worse. I was down in the square the day 't Johnny come with that
telegram too. I remember Mrs. Macy 'n' me was the only ones there
'cause it was Monday. I wasn't goin' to wash 'cause I only had a
nightgown 'n' two aprons, 'n' the currants was ripe 'n' I'd gone down
to get my sugar, 'n' Johnny come kitin' up fr'm the station, 'n' Mrs.
Macy 'n' me didn't put on no airs but just kited right after him. Mrs.
Macy always says she learned to see the sense in Bible miracles that
day, f'r she had n't run in years then, 'n' she's walked with a stick
ever since, but she run that day, 'n' Johnny bein' tired 'n' Mrs. Macy
'n' me fresh--she was a little fresher 'n me f'r I 'd been talkin'--we
all three come in on Mr. Shores together. Seems like I c'n see him
now. He sort of shivered all over 'n' says, 'Ah--a telegram!' 'n'
Johnny says, 'Jus' come,' 'n' then we all waited. Well, Mrs. Lathrop,
I guess I've told you before how he jus' sort o' went right up in the
air!--it said, 'We have took the child,' 'n' he bounced all over like
a rat that ain't good caught 'n' then he out 'n' away 'n' we right
after him. He kept hollerin', 'It's a lie--it's a lie,' but when he
got home he found out 't Mrs. Shores had kep' her word 's usual. Mrs.
Macy put cold water to his head 'n' I mixed mustard plasters 'n' put
'em on anywhere 't he was still enough, but all the same they had to
lace him to the ironin' board that night. I hear lots o' folks says 's
he's never really knowed which end up he was walkin' since, but I
guess there's more reasons f'r that 'n her takin' the baby. My own
view o' the matter is 't he misses his clerk full 's much 's he misses
his family, f'r he's got to tend both sides of the store at once