Part 16 (2/2)
”I know,” faltered the little woman. ”You was thinkin' of--Alma.”
”She wouldn't do it--Alma wouldn't!” retorted the man sharply, almost before his wife had ceased speaking.
”No, no, of course not; but--Nathan, ye _don't_ think Alma'd ever be--_ashamed_ of us, do ye?”
”'Course not!” a.s.serted Nathan, but his voice shook. ”Don't ye worry, Mary,” he comforted. ”Alma ain't a-goin' ter do no kerrectin' of us.”
”Nathan, I--I think that's 'co-rectin','” suggested the woman, a little breathlessly.
The man turned and gazed at his wife without speaking. Then his jaw fell.
”Well, by sugar, Mary! _You_ ain't a-goin' ter begin it, be ye?” he demanded.
”Why, no, 'course not!” she laughed confusedly. ”An'--an' Alma wouldn't.”
”'Course Alma wouldn't,” echoed her husband. ”Come, it's time ter shut up the house.”
The date of Alma's expected arrival was yet a week ahead.
As the days pa.s.sed, there came a curious restlessness to the movements of both Nathan and his wife. It was on the last night of that week of waiting that Mrs. Kelsey spoke.
”Nathan,” she began, with forced courage, ”I've been over to Mis'
Hopkins's--an' asked her what special things 'twas that Katy set such store by. I thought mebbe if we knew 'em beforehand, an' could do 'em, an'--”
”That's jest what I asked Jim ter-day, Mary,” cut in Nathan excitedly.
”Nathan, you didn't, now! Oh, I'm so glad! An' we'll do 'em, won't we?--jest ter please her?”
”'Course we will!”
”Ye see it's four years since she was here, Nathan, what with her teachin' summers.”
”Sugar, now! Is it? It hain't seemed so long.”
”Nathan,” interposed Mrs. Kelsey, anxiously, ”I think that 'hain't'
ain't--I mean _aren't_ right. I think you'd orter say, 'It haven't seemed so long.'”
The man frowned, and made an impatient gesture.
”Yes, yes, I know,” soothed his wife; ”but,--well, we might jest as well begin now an' git used to it. Mis' Hopkins said that them two words, 'hain't an' 'ain't, was what Katy hated most of anythin'.”
”Yes; Jim mentioned 'em, too,” acknowledged Nathan gloomily. ”But he said that even them wan't half so bad as his riggin' up nights. He said that Katy said that after the 'toil of the day' they must 'don fresh garments an' come ter the evenin' meal with minds an' bodies refreshed.'”
”Yes; an', Nathan, ain't my black silk--”
”Ahem! I'm a-thinkin' it wa'n't me that said 'ain't' that time,”
interposed Nathan.
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