under
the porch I would have throwed something down on him. My, but I was mad!
I come down that garret-ladder like a greased pan 'n' I tied my bonnet
on 'n' walked straight in on Mr. Kimball. That was one time as he did
very little jokin', 'n' in the end he put in five of the ten himself 'n'
then we both sat down 'n' tried to figger out as to how much of that
share we each owned. I will confess as takin' down stoves was lookin'
out of the window beside that job, 'n' in the end he made out as that if
the share was worth the whole of itself I 'd own half, but bein' worth
only what had happened to it there was n't the half in the whole. So I
come home 'n' dreamed nothin' but nightmares runnin' wildly up 'n' down
me.

"You know what happened next!--it was the next mornin', 'n' I was makin'
bread with a very heavy dough when Ed come bouncin' in for three dollars
more margin. Well, I honestly thought I 'd bu'st. I blazed up so quick
'n' so sudden that Ed fell back agin the table, 'n' then I shook till
the window rattled. It was a good minute before I could speak, 'n' when
I spoke, I may in truth remark, Mrs. Lathrop, that I never spoke plainer
nor firmer in my life,--'Edward Andrews'--I says--'Edward Andrews, you
paddle yourself right back to Mr. Kimball 'n' tell him that my patience
is very short 'n' is gettin' shorter each minute, 'n' you may just
casually mention that I ain't got no more money to margin with not now
'n' not never. If a thing as I 've paid nigh to eight-fifths for is
shrunk to less than half of itself Mr. Dill 'n' Mr. Shores can margin
for it from now on--I'm done forever.' 'N' I was done, too--but I never
bargained on what came next!--Mr. Kimball traded that share in wheat for
two in a Refrigerator Trust 'n' never even so much as sneezed about it
to me, 'n' I will say, Mrs. Lathrop, as I consider that the Bible sayin'
'Honor among thieves' ought to apply to me just as much as to any one
else. 'N' there I went into the city as unsuspectin' as a can brimful of
buttermilk 'n' bought a paper to read comin' home on the cars, 'n' what
should I unfold but wheat runnin' up a ladder along with a bull to get
out of the way of a lot of wild-lookin' lambs! The ladder-rungs was
numbered 'n' I was sharp enough to see as them numbers was money 'n'
that wheat had one leg safe on 110; so I kited home to sell out--'n' it
was then I learned about the Refrigerator!

"Well, Mrs. Lathrop!--well, _Mrs_. Lathrop, what do you th