Mrs. Lathrop nodded, and turned to go.

"I hope I have n't made you feel uneasy, Mrs. Lathrop," Susan said, as
she also turned; "you know me well enough to know as if I come to
starvation it would never be nothin' but a joy to me to see you starve
with me."

Mrs. Lathrop nodded.

Susan nodded.

And thus they parted for the night.

PART SECOND

GRAN'MA MULLINS'S WOE

It was some days later--a summer afternoon. The setting sun was
brightening the western sky, and Susan, with her bonnet on and her
sun-shade leaning beside her, sat on Mrs. Lathrop's porch and discoursed
in a fashion that partook alternately of the lively and of the dejected.
Mrs. Lathrop rocked calmly and listened yet more so.

"Things is goin' worse 'n' worse," said the caller; "I 've had to bring
myself down to doin' my own weedin', so as to save that ten cents a week
I give Augustus, 'n' Lord knows I 'd gladly put up anything for anybody,
but everybody in this town puts up themselves. I don't know how I will
get along if suthin' don't turn up, 'n' I can't see what can turn up
with every one head over ears deep in the weddin's 'n' young Doctor
Brown settin' the whole town mad over the crick. That 's a very strange
thing about the crick, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' it seems to be pretty generally
admitted now that inside or out the crick 's good for most anything in
anybody, but this new idea as it 's a sure cure for asthma is just doin'
folks up alive. Young Doctor Brown says he's been investigatin' under
his own microscope, 'n' he says there ain't a doubt but the crick
polliwogs can eat up the asthma polliwogs as fast as you can shake 'em
together in a bottle. He 's goin' to Meadville 'n' shake 'em up for old
Doctor Carter, 'n' then he 's goin' to send to the city for a pint of
typhoid fever 'n' a half-pint of diphtheria 'n' let 'em loose on that.
Mr. Kimball asked him if he was positive which side was doin' the
swallowin' 'n' if he had the crick ones wear a band on their left arms
when they went into battle, but young Doctor Brown explained as there
could n't be no mistake, for asthma has got four claws in its tail and
the crick has horns all over. Mrs. Macy says, under them circumstances
she shall make her tea with boiled rain-water hereafter, 'n' she says
she ain't sure as she 's got enough faith left in the crick to even
scrub with it."

"If I--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

"Gran'ma Mullins is a good deal upset," said Susan; "she don't like the