"novel language" demanded it, she began to read:

"Chapter Five. The Lonely house and the Faithful friend. Thus was I left
alone. None but two dogs to keep me com-pa-ny. I milk-ed the lowing kine
and water-ed and fed the steed, and then, after my fru-gal repast, I
clos-ed the man-si-on, shutting out all re-collections of the past and
also foresights into the future. That night was a me-mor-able one. I
slept soundly until the break of morn, but had the events transpired
which afterward occur-red, what would have hap-pen-ed to me no tongue
can tell. Early the next day nothing hap-pened. Soon after breakfast,
the vener-able John came to bor-row some ker-osene oil and a half
a pound of sugar, but his attempt was foil-ed. I knew too well the
in-sid-ious foe. In the very out-set of his vil-li-an-y I sent him
home with a empty can. For two long days I wander-ed amid the ver-dant
pathways of the gar-den and to the barn, whenever and anon my du-ty
call-ed me, nor did I ere neg-lect the fowlery. No cloud o'er-spread
this happy pe-ri-od of my life. But the cloud was ri-sing in the horizon
although I saw it not.

"It was about twenty-five minutes after eleven, on the morning of a
Thursday, that I sat pondering in my mind the ques-ti-on what to do with
the butter and the veg-et-ables. Here was butter, and here was green
corn and lima-beans and trophy tomats, far more than I ere could use.
And here was a horse, idly cropping the fol-i-age in the field, for as
my employer had advis-ed and order-ed I had put the steed to grass. And
here was a wagon, none too new, which had it the top taken off, or even
the curtains roll-ed up, would do for a li-cen-ced vender. With the
truck and butter, and mayhap some milk, I could load that wagon--"

"O, Pomona," interrupted Euphemia. "You don't mean to say that you were
thinking of doing anything like that?"

"Well, I was just beginning to think of it," said Pomona, "but of course
I couldn't have gone away and left the house. And you'll see I didn't do
it." And then she continued her novel. "But while my thoughts were thus
employ-ed, I heard Lord Edward burst into bark-ter--"

At this Euphemia and I could not help bursting into laughter. Pomona did
not seem at all confused, but went on with her reading.

"I hurried to the door, and, look-ing out, I saw a wagon at the gate.
Re-pair-ing there, I saw a man. Said he, 'Wilt open this gate?' I had
fasten-ed up the gates and remov-ed every steal-able