he only time I ever was
real what you might call down sick in my life, and I commenced with
measles. That's the way a good many folks commence, I know, but they
don't generally wait till they're out of their 'teens afore they start.
I was workin' for Mrs. Philander Bassett at the time, and she says to
me: 'Rachel,' she says, 'you're on the mendin' hand now, wouldn't you
like a book to read?' I says, 'Why, maybe I would.' And she fetched
up three of 'em. I can see 'em now, all three, plain as day. One was
Barriers Burned Away. She said that was somethin' about a big fire.
Well, I'm awful nervous about fires, have been from a child, so I didn't
read that. And another had the queerest kind of a name, if you'd call it
a name at all; 'twas She."

Albert nodded.

"Yes," he said. "I've read that."

"Have you? Well, I begun to, but my stars, THAT wasn't any book to give
to a person with nerve symptoms. I got as far as where those Indians or
whatever they was started to put red-hot kettles on folks's heads, and
that was enough for ME. 'Give me somethin' civilized,' says I, 'or not
at all.' So I commenced Foul Play, and I tell you I kept right on to the
end.

"I don't suppose," she went on, "that there ever was a much better book
than that wrote, was there?"

Albert temporized. "It is a good one," he admitted.

"Don't seem to me there could be much better. Laban says it's good,
though he won't go so far as to say it's the very best. He's read lots
and lots of books, Laban has. Reads an awful lot in his spare time. He's
what you'd call an educated person, which is what I ain't. And I guess
you'll say that last is plain enough without bein' told," she added.

Her companion, not exactly knowing how to answer, was silent for a
moment. Rachel, who had picked up and was again twisting the dust-cloth,
returned to the subject she so delighted in.

"But that Foul Play book," she continued, "I've read till I've pretty
nigh wore the covers off. When Mrs. Bassett saw how much I liked it
she gave it to me for a present. I read a little bit in it every little
while. I kind of fit the folks in that book to folks in real life, sort
of compare 'em, you know. Do you ever do that?"

Albert, repressing a chuckle, said, "Sure!" again. She nodded.

"Now there's General Rolleson in that book," she said. "Do you know who
he makes me think of? Cap'n Lote, your grandpa, that's who."

General Rolleson, as Albert remembered him, was an extremel