man, just to get
a home, food, and clothing. I don't believe mother ever would do it in
all this world. But then mother has worked all her life, and so if
father doesn't do as she wants him to, she'd know exactly how to go
about taking care of herself.

After all Mrs. Pryor didn't need to sit back on her dignity and look so
abused. He couldn't knock her down, and drag her clear here. Why
didn't she say right out, in the beginning, that her son COULDN'T be a
thief, that she knew it, and she'd stay at home and wait for him to
come back? She could have put a piece in the paper saying she knew her
boy was all right, and for him to come back, so they could go to work
and PROVE it. I bet if she'd had one tenth of the ginger mother has,
she'd have stopped the whole fuss in the start. I looked at her almost
steadily, trying to figure out just what mother would have done in her
place. Maybe I'm mistaken about exactly how she would have set to
work, but this I KNOW: she'd have stuck to the Lord; she'd have loved
father, so dearly, he just COULDN'T have wanted her to do things that
hurt her until it gave her heart trouble; and she never, never would
have given up one of us, and sat holding her heart for months, refusing
to see or to speak to any one, while she waited for some one else to do
something. Mother never waits. She always thinks a minute, if she's
in doubt she asks father; if he can't decide, both of them ask God; and
then you ought to see things begin to fly.

The more I watched Mrs. Pryor, the more I began to think she was a
lady; and just about when I was sure that was what ailed her, I heard
father say: "Perhaps the lady would like a cup of tea." I had a big
notion to tell her to come on, and I would show her where the cannister
was, but I thought I better not. I wanted to, though. She'd have felt
much better if she had got up and worked like the rest of us. With all
the excitement, and everything happening at once, you'd have thought
mother would be flat on her back, but flat nothing! Everything was
picked up and slid back, fast as it was torn down; she found time to
flannel her nose and brush her hair, her collar was straight, and the
goldstone pin shone in the light, while her starched white apron
fluttered as she went through the doors. She said a few words to
Candace and Mrs. Freshett, May took out a linen cloth and began to set
places for all the grown people, so I knew there'd be strawberry