sign for a penny bank as he ever saw, 'n' Polly Allen says
she 's more 'n sorry for Lucy, 'cause no matter how hard Lucy was to
try, Polly says it stands to reason as she could n't get more 'n half a
kiss at once. Mrs. Allen giggled, 'n' we all did, too, 'cause the deacon
carries his mouth so tight shut that it's a question if Polly ever gets
a kiss a _tall_.

"Mrs. Brown says Doctor Brown is gettin' surer 'n' surer about the
crick. He 's been paintin' the cat with asthma 'n' then washin' him in
crick water, 'n' Mrs. Brown says he wa'n't dead up to the time he run
away anyhow."

"That big--" queried Mrs. Lathrop.

"Yes, with the yellow eyes. He 's been gone a week, but they don't care.
Mrs. Brown says that cat was so everlastin'ly around that he made her
feel like she was married again, 'n' she was glad to have him light out.
She says he was so like a man it was awful,--wantin' to sit by the fire
'n' think till you was dyin' to empty the tea-kettle over his head, 'n'
forever placidly yawnin' when you was turned a hundred ends at once.
Mrs. Brown says Amelia 's goin' to give a wash-cloth shower for Polly
and Lucy day after to-morrow. She says young Doctor Brown says if he
comes out on top about that crick-cure for asthma Amelia can do anythin'
she pleases. He says this town 'll be a real cure then, 'n' we 'll see
no end of money flow into us,--she says he says we can all take boarders
at fancy prices 'n' serve 'em to the crick at a penny a glass. I don't
know but what I might take a few quiet boarders myself that way. They 'd
be quiet because they could n't be lively, 'n' the asthma 'd choke 'em
to where they could n't eat much."

"I--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

"I could have 'Liza Em'ly to help me, I presume. I could advertise 'n'
when they answered I could go in town 'n' look at them and take my pick.
I 'd want to be sure as they were quiet, 'n' I 'd want to be sure as
they were sick--I would n't take no chances at havin' one o' these
merry-go-round summer families land on me, I know. Like as not there 'd
be a boy, 'n' you know yourself, Mrs. Lathrop, that while a boy may
perhaps accidentally happen to be a comfort he 's very much more likely
just to be a boy."

"Yes," said Mrs. Lathrop--"I--"

"Yes, o' course," said Susan, "'n' look where he come out! If Jathrop
had been a girl how different everything would have been for him--not to
speak o' the rest of us. You can't deny that, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' you
can't deny eit