Susan Clegg and Her Friend Mrs. Lathrop | Page 6

fool 'n he ever would be bein'
mine."
There was a pause.
"Your father's just the--" Mrs. Lathrop said at last.
"Same? Oh yes, he's just the same. Seems 't I can't remember when he
wasn't just the same."
Then there was another pause.
"I ain't discouraged," Susan announced suddenly, almost
aggressively,--"I ain't discouraged 'n' I won't give up. I'm goin' to see
Mr. Weskin, the lawyer, to-morrow. They say--'n' I never see nothin' to
lead me to doubt 'em--'t he's stingy 'n' mean for all he's forever makin'
so merry at other folks' expense; but I believe 't there's good in
everythin' 'f you're willin' to hunt for it 'n' Lord knows 't if this game
keeps up much longer I 'll get so used to huntin' 't huntin' the good in
Lawyer Weskin 'll jus' be child's play to me."

"I was thinkin'--" began Mrs. Lathrop.
"It ain't no use if you are," said her neighbor; "the mosquitoes is gettin'
too thick. We 'd better in."
And so they parted for the night.
* * * * *
The following evening was hot and breathless, the approach of Fourth
of July appearing to hang heavily over all. Susan brought a palm-leaf
fan with her to the fence and fanned vigorously.
"It ain't goin' to be the lawyer, either," she informed the expectant Mrs.
Lathrop, "'n' I hav' n't no tears to shed over that. I went there the first
thing after dinner, 'n' he give me a solid chair 'n' whirled aroun' in one 't
twisted, 'n' I did n't fancy such manners under such circumstances a tall.
I'd say suthin' real serious 'n' he'd brace himself ag'in his desk 'n' take a
spin 's if I did n't count for sixpence. I could n't seem to bring him
around to the seriousness of the thing nohow. 'N' I come right out
square 'n' open in the very beginnin' too, for Lord knows I 'm dead sick
o' beatin' around the bush o' men's natural shyness. He whirled himself
clean around two times 'n' then said 's long 's I was so frank with him 't
it 'd be nothin' but a joy for him to be equally frank with me 'n' jus' say
's he'd rather not. I told him he 'd ought to remember 's he 'd have a lot
o' business when father died 'f he kept my good will, but he was lookin'
over 'n' under himself to see how near to unscrewed he was 'n' if it was
safe to keep on turnin' the same way any longer, 'n' upon my honor,
Mrs. Lathrop, I was nigh to mad afore he got ready to remark 's father
'd left him a legacy on condition 't he did n't charge nothin' for
probatin'."
Mrs. Lathrop chewed her clover.
"So I come away, 'n' I declare my patience is nigh to gin out. This
gettin' married is harder 'n' house-paintin' in fly-time. I d'n' know when
I 've felt so tired. Here's three nights 't I 've had to make my ideas all
over new to suit a different husband each night. It made my very bones

ache to think o' pilin' them eight children 'n' the minister on top o' father,
'n' then the next night it was a good jump out to that farm, f'r I never
was one to know any species o' fellow-feelin' with pigs 'n' milkin'. 'N'
last night!--well, you know I never liked Mr. Weskin anyhow. But I d'n'
know who I can get now. There's Mrs. Healy's husband, o' course; but
when a woman looks happier in her coffin 'n she ever looked out of it
it's more'n a hint to them's stays behind to fight shy o' her husband.
They say he used to throw dishes at her, 'n' I never could stand that--I'm
too careful o' my china to risk any such goin's on."
Mrs. Lathrop started to speak, but got no further.
"There's a new clerk in the drug-store,--I see him through the window
when I was comin' home to-day. He looked to be a nice kind o' man,
but I can't help feelin' 't it 'd be kind o' awkward to go up to him 'n' have
to begin by askin' him what my name 'd be 'f I married him. Maybe
there's them 's could do such a thing, but I 've never had nothin' about
me 's 'd lead me to throw myself at the head o' any man, 'n' it's too late
in the day f'r me to start in now."
Mrs. Lathrop again attempted to get in a word and was again
unsuccessful.
"I don't believe 't there's another free man in the town. I've thought 'n'
thought 'n' I can't think