Susan Clegg and a Man in the House | Page 3

in the city when he was up there yesterday!"
"Saw Ja--" screamed Mrs. Lathrop. Jathrop was her son who had fled
from the town some years before, his departure being marked by

peculiarly harrowing circumstances, and of whom or from whom she
had never heard one word since.
"Mr. Dill was n't sure," said Susan; "he said the more he thought about
it the more sure he was that he was n 't sure a tall. He saw the man in a
seed-office where he went to buy some seed, an' he said if it was
Jathrop he's took another name because another name was on the office
door. He said what made him think as it was Jathrop was he jumped so
when he see Mr. Dill. Mr. Dill said he was helpin' himself out of a box
of cigars an' his own idea was as he jumped because they was n't his
cigars. Jathrop give Mr. Dill one cigar an' when he thanked him he said,
'Don't mention it,' an' to my order of thinkin' that proves as they was n't
his cigars, for if they was his cigars why under heaven should he have
minded Mr. Dill's mentionin' it? Mr. Dill said another reason as made
him think as it was Jathrop was as he never asked about you,--but then
if he was n't Jathrop he naturally would n't have asked about you either.
Mr. Dill said he was n't sure, Mr. Dill said he was n't a bit sure, Mr.
Dill said it was really all a mystery to him, but two things he could
swear to, an' one of those was as this man is a full head taller than
Jathrop an' the other was as he's a Swede, so I guess it's pretty safe not
to be him."
Mrs. Lathrop collapsed limply. Susan went on with her tale as calmly
as ever.
"You see, Mrs. Lathrop, it's like this. I told Mr. Kimball I'd think it over
an' consult you before I give him any answer a tall. I could see he did
n't want to give me time to think it over or to consult you for fear I'd
change my mind, but when you ain't made up your mind, changin' it is
easy, an' I never was one to hurry myself an' I won't begin now.
Hurryin' leads to swallowin' fish-bones an' tearin' yourself on nails an' a
many other things as makes me mad, an' I won't hurry now an' I won't
hurry never. I shall take my own time, an' take my own time about
takin' it, too, an' Mr. Kimball nor no other man need n't think he can
ask me things as is more likely to change my whole life than not to
change it, an' suppose I'm goin' to answer him like it was n't no greater
matter than a sparrow hoppin' his tail around on a fence. I ain't no

sparrow nor no spring chicken neither an' I don't intend to decide my
affairs jumpin' about in a hurry, no, not even if you was advisin' me the
same as Mr. Kimball, Mrs. Lathrop, an' you know how much I think of
your advice even if you have yet to give me the first piece as I can see
my way to usin', for I will say this for your advice, Mrs. Lathrop, an'
that is that advice as is easier left untook than yours is, never yet was
given."
Mrs. Lathrop opened her mouth in a feeble attempt to rally her forces,
but long before they were rallied Susan was off again:
"I don't know, I'm sure, whether what I said to Mr. Kimball in the end
was wise or not. I did n't say right out as I would, but I said I would
maybe for a little while. I thought a little while would give me the
inside track of what a long while would be pretty sure to mean. I don't
know as it was a good thing to do but it's done now, so help me Heaven;
an' if I can't stand him I always stand by my word, so he'll get three
months' board anyhow an' I'll learn a little of what it would mean to
have a man in the house."
"A man in--" cried Mrs. Lathrop, recovering herself sufficiently to
illustrate her mental attitude by what in her case always answered the
purposes of a start.
"That's what I said," said Susan, "an' havin' said it Mr. Kimball can rely
on Elijah Doxey's bein' sure to get it now."
"Eli--" cried Mrs. Lathrop, again upheaved.
"Elijah Doxey," repeated Susan. "That's his name. I ain't surprised over
your bein' surprised, Mrs. Lathrop, 'cause I was all dumb did up myself
at