in this town, you'd see. It would n't give Sam any more brains,
but every one 'd be pleased an' the Democrats would n't cut no figure no
more."

"But--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

"That's just it," said Susan, "that's just the trouble. We're like most
of the rest of America an' the whole of Cuba an' the Philippines, too
little an' too far off to make the big folks really care whether we
like the way they do or not. I don't have no idea of carin' whether
potato bugs mind bein' picked or not, an' no matter what they said about
me before or after their pickin' it 'd be all one to me. An' that's just
about the way our government feels about us. An' I guess most other
governments is much the same. Which is probably the reason why potato
bugs is gettin' worse an' thicker all the time."

CHAPTER XII

THE TRIALS OF MRS. MACY

As Susan set the basket down it began to squawk.

"I don't care," she said, "let it squawk!"

"But what--" asked Mrs. Lathrop, in whose kitchen Susan had set the
basket down and in whose kitchen chair Susan was now sitting herself
down.

"Let it squawk," Susan repeated; "I guess it's made trouble enough for
others so that I may in all confidence feel to set a little while
without troublin' about it myself. I look upon it that I was very kind
to take it anyhow, not havin' no idea how it'll agree with the chickens
when it comes to eatin' with them or with me when it comes to me eatin'
it, for you know as I never was one as cared for 'em, Mrs. Lathrop, but
still a friend is a friend, an' in Mrs. Macy's state to-night the least
her friends could do was for Gran'ma Mullins to stay with her an' for me
to take the duck. Gran'ma Mullins was willing to sit up with a
under-the-weather neighbor, but she said she could _not_ take a duck on
her mind too, an' a spoiled duck at that, for I will in confidence
remark, Mrs. Lathrop, as you only need to be in the room with that duck
two minutes to see as the Prodigal Son was fully an' freely whipped in
comparison to the way as he's been dealt with."

"I really--" protested Mrs. Lathrop.

"Well, I don't know but it _will_ be savin' of breath in the end," said
Miss Clegg, and thereupon she arose, laid hold of the squawking basket,
bore it into the next room, and coming out, shut the connecting door
firmly behind her.

"Where under the--" began Mrs. Lathrop.

"It's really quite a long story," returned her friend; "but I come in
just to tell you, anyhow. It's M