him go in by the kitchen door, and waited,
with a confidence born of a very good understanding of her neighbor's
views as to driving in and hitching, to see him cast ignominiously forth
by Miss Clegg.

But even that omniscience of a friend's habits which may be acquired
during a next-door residence for years sometimes fails, and Mrs.
Lathrop, after an hour of more or less active bobbing in the window that
commanded the best view of the rear of the house on the other side of
the fence, was forced to see that the caller, whoever he might be, was
not cast forth, and a further hour's attention showed that he did not
quit the premises either just before or just after dinner. When Mrs.
Lathrop had quite settled the last point to her complete satisfaction
and un-understanding, she decided to give up watching and to go to sleep
as usual. She slept until four in the afternoon, and when she awoke and
hurried to the window the horse and wagon were gone. Susan seemed gone
too, for her house looked very shut up and sounded more than silent. So
Mrs. Lathrop went back forthwith to her chair and slept again, and the
next time she awakened it was her friend's voice that awakened her, as
the latter stood over her and demanded briskly,

"Well, did you see him?"

"I--oh--oh--I--" began Mrs. Lathrop, vaguely.

"I thought you could n't but see him," said Susan, "hitchin' his horse
to one o' my clothes-poles as large as life. If it 'd been any day in
his life but this one I 'd surely of told him frank 'n' open my views on
hitchin' to my clothes-poles, but bein' as it was to-day I only told him
my views on drivin' over my grass."

"But--" began Mrs. Lathrop.

"The horse did n't bite the pole," continued Susan; "he said as he
wa'n't no cribber. I told him it wa'n't cribs as was the question, but
clothes-poles, an' I might of spoken some stronger, but just then he
stepped on the edge of the cistern cover 'n' I got such a turn as drove
everythin' else clean out o' my mind. You know how easy it is to turn
that cover, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' I must say that if he and it had fell in
together there'd have been a fine tale to tell, for the cover always
sinks straight to the bottom, 'n' is no joke to find 'n' fish up,--you
and I both know that. Ever since the brace give way I 've always got it
on my mind to keep the clothes-bars sittin' over it, but now the brace
in the clothes-bars is give way too 'n' as a consequence they won't sit
over nothin' no m