p separately. I d'n' know's I ever was so
glad of anythin' in my life 's I am that I drew No. 14 out o' Mrs.
Craig's sugar-bowl. Fate 's a strange thing when you look it under 'n'
over 'n' hind end to, Mrs. Lathrop,--there was me drawin' No. 14 'n'
Mrs. Craig herself gettin' Augustus, 'n' all on account of a
sugar-bowl, 'n' that sugar-bowl hers 'n' not mine."

Mrs. Lathrop applied her clover, but said nothing.

"Well, I d'n' know as there's any good to be gained out o' our
standin' here chattin' any longer. We'd better be gettin' to bed 'n'
thankin' our merciful Father 't we hav'n't got none o' the minister's
children, 'n' that's a prayer 's not many c'n put up this night."

Mrs. Lathrop threw her clover away and returned to her own domicile.

* * * * *

On Wednesday, between the intense heat and the equally intense
excitement engendered by Mr. Kimball's suggestion, the town was rife
with a hive-like tumult. Miss Clegg went down to return Mrs. Macy's
call soon after dinner, and when she got back it was all of six. Mrs.
Lathrop was so anxious to hear the latest news from the seat of war
that she had prepared a company tea by the dining-room window and
hailed Susan directly she was near enough to hail.

"I want you to come to--" she cried.

"Well, I believe I will," her friend answered cordially. "I believe
I'd really enjoy to pervided you ain't got nothin' with dried currants
in it. They say the heathen Chinese eat flies for currants, but I
never was no heathen Chinese."

"I ain't got--" Mrs. Lathrop assured her.

"Then I'll come 's soon 's I c'n get my bonnet off," Susan answered,
and proceeded to unlock her own domain and enter into the sacred
precincts thereof.

Ten minutes later the friends sat on opposite sides of Mrs. Lathrop's
hospitality.

"I s'pose 't a good deal--" began the older woman, as she poured out
the tea.

"More'n any other day," said the younger; "it almost seems 's 'f more
's happened than I c'n remember to tell over again. I see Mrs. Macy,
'n' it was lucky 't I went to see her, f'r she was _the_ one 's knowed
everythin' _this_ day, f'r sure. The first thing she told me was 't
the minister 's got his ear-muffs right along with him. She says the
ear-muffs is the only thing 't she didn't find, f'r she's willin' to
swear 's she opened more 'n a hunderd bundles. She said she was clean
wore out towards the last, 'n' discouraged too, 'n' she thought she'd
go over to