it's for you to
c'nsider whether he gets anythin' but fun out o' it or not. 'F you 're
willin' to be sued, it's ownin' you know you 've done suthin', 'n' you
ain't done nothin'--it was the cow's did it to you. There ain't
nothin' to be gained f'r even the wicked by ownin' up to bein' wicked
in court, 'n' they often get off by ownin' up to bein' innocent. You
can't never lose nothin' by swearin' 's it wa'n't you, 'n' 's far as
my observation 's extended, a person 's starts out by tryin' to be
honest 'n' sayin', 'Yes, I done it,' soon finds themselves with the
whole neighborhood laid at their door 'n' never no thanks for it,
neither.

"Mr. Weskin says 't Deacon White says 't some one 's got to pay him
f'r happenin' to swallow Gran'ma Mullins' teeth when he wa'n't
thinkin'. Well, 'f he's got a right to anythin', pretty nigh all the
c'mmunity 's got a equal right. There 's Mr. Fisher with a slice out
o' his side, 'n' them nine teacups o' Gran'ma Mullins'. There 's Mr.
Jilkins goin' to set a price for every parasol punch he got, 'n' Mrs.
Jilkins goin' to want a new parasol.

"'N' then it 'd be jus' like young Dr. Brown to perk up 'n' send you a
bill, instid o' bein' everlastin'ly grateful for all the teachin' he
owes straight to you. He's had a chance to perform 'most every kind o'
operation 'n' to use up the last drop o' all his old liniments jus' as
a result o' that one cow. Then too he's had a chance to call old Dr.
Carter over in consultation, 'n' in the ordinary run o' things he
could n't o' 'xpected to have nothin' to consult about f'r years 'n'
years. He's a made young man 'n' all in one night, jus' owin' to you,
'n' the last time he whipped his horse through the square to-day, Mr.
Kimball said he looked so busy 't he supposed they 'd elect him our
next mayor.

"You was n't responsible f'r the cow's gettin', 'n' Jathrop was. It's
Jathrop 's is to blame, 'n' if any one's to be sued it 'd ought to be
him, 'n' he ain't got no property but the cow, 'n' she's hung up dead
'n' her own damage, so it's no use sum' him f'r anythin'. Folks 's
ain't got nothin' don't never have any law troubles, 'n' Jathrop is
gone off 'n' so he 's specially handy to blame for everythin'. 'S far
's my observation 's 'xtended, it 's always folks a long ways off 's
it's wisest to lay all the faults to, 'n' 'f I was you--"

Mrs. Lathrop's eyes suddenly started out of her head.

"I can't feel my leg!" she cried.

Susan sprang to her feet.