Part 5 (1/2)

_then_ it come out 't after all what she come for was to borrow my clo'es-wringer! Well, Mrs. Lathrop, I certainly didn't have no blame f'r myself at feelin' some tempered under them circ.u.mstances,--me _so_ sympathetic--'n' the tea--'n' all.”

Mrs. Lathrop shook her head in calm and appreciative understanding.

”Did you lend--” she asked.

”--'N' there are folks just like that in this world too,” Susan continued, ”'n' it beats me what the Lord makes 'em so for, for they'll talk 'n' talk 'n' wander all over every subjeck in Creation to come 'n' never even begin to get around to the point till you're clean gi'n out with listenin'. 'F the minister's wife hadn't come that day 'n' hadn't talked as she did, I might 'a' been left less wore out and, as a consequence, have told you that night what I ain't never told you yet, for it was strong in my mind then 'n' it's strong in my mind now, 'n' bein' one o' them 's wastes no words, I'll state to you at once, Mrs. Lathrop, 't before Mrs. Sh.o.r.es run away--'n' after she run away too, f'r that matter--I was thinkin' very seriously o' adoptin' a baby.”

”A--” said Mrs. Lathrop, opening her eyes somewhat.

”A baby,” repeated Susan. ”I feel you ought to be the first one to know it because, 's much 's I'm out, you'll naturally have the care of it the most of the time.”

Mrs. Lathrop clawed feebly among her pieces and seemed somewhat bewildered as she clawed.

”Mrs. Sh.o.r.es' ba--” she queried.

Susan screamed.

”_Mrs. Lathrop!_”--she stopped knitting so that she might concentrate her entire strength into the extreme astonishment which she desired to render manifest in those two words--”Mrs. Lathrop!--Me!--adopt Mrs.

Sh.o.r.es' baby! Adopt the baby of a woman as 'd gone off 'n' left it!”

Mrs. Lathrop looked deeply apologetic.

”I didn't know--” she ventured.

”Well, you'd ought to of,” said Susan, ”'n' if you didn't I'd never own to it. Such a idea never entered my head, 'n' I can't conceive when nor how it entered yours. Only I'm free to confess to one thing, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' that is 't 'f _I_ was give to havin' ideas 's senseless 's yours often are, I'd certainly keep my mouth shut 'n' let people 's knows more do the talkin'.”

Mrs. Lathrop swallowed the rebuke and remained pa.s.sively overcome by the after-clap of her astonishment.

Susan began to knit again.

”I wasn't thinkin' o' Mrs. Sh.o.r.es' baby 'n' I wasn't thinkin' o' no baby in particular. I never said I was thinkin' of any baby--I said I was thinkin' of _a_ baby. I sh'd think you could 'a' seen the difference, but even if you can't see it there is a difference just the same. My sakes alive! it's a serious enough matter decidin' to adopt some one for good 'n' all without hurryin' the doin' of it any.

If you was 's rich 's I be, Mrs. Lathrop, you'd understand that better. 'N' if you was 's rich 's I be, you might not be in no more of a hurry 'n I am. I ain't in a hurry a _tall_. I ain't in a hurry 'n' I don't mean to be in a hurry. I'm only jus' a-gettin' on towards makin'

up my mind.”

Mrs. Lathrop slowly and meditatively drew a piece of sky-blue farmer's satin from her bag and looked at it absent-mindedly. Susan twirled her stocking and went on.

”'S long 's I've begun I may 's well make a clean breast of the whole now. O' course you don't know nothin', Mrs. Lathrop, but, to put the whole thing in a sh.e.l.l, this adoptin' of a child 's a good deal to consider. When a woman 's married, it's the Lord's will 'n' out o' the Bible 'n' to be took without no murmurin' 's to your own feelin's in the matter. Every one 's sorry for married people, no matter how their children turn out, because, good or bad, like enough they done their best, 'n' if they didn't it was always the other one's fault; but there ain't no one goin' to lay themselves out to try 'n' smooth my child's thorns into a bed o' roses for me. Every one 's jus' goin' to up 'n' blame me right 'n' left, 'n' if it has a pug-nose or turns out bad I can't shoulder none of it onto the Lord, I'll jus' have the whole c'mmunity sayin' I've got myself 'n' no one else to thank. Now, when you know f'r sure 't you can't blame n.o.body else but jus'

yourself, you go pretty slow, 'n' for that very reason I'm thinkin'

this subjeck well over afore I decide. There's a good many questions to consider,--my mind 's got to be made up whether boy or girl 'n' age 'n' so forth afore I shall open my lips to a livin' soul.”

Mrs. Lathrop appeared to be slowly recovering from the effects of her surprise.

”Would you take a small--” she asked, perhaps with some mental reference to the remark that dowered her with the occasional charge of the future adopted Clegg.

”Well, I d'n' know. That's a very hard thing that comes up first of all every time 't I begin thinkin'. When most folks set out to adopt a baby, the main idea seems to be to try 'n' get 'em so young 't they can't never say for sure's you ain't their mother.”

Mrs. Lathrop nodded approval, mute but emphatic, of the wisdom of her friend's views.

”But I ain't got none o' that foolish sort o' notions in me. I wouldn't be its mother, 'n' 'f there was n't no one else to tell it so Mr. Kimball 'd rejoice to the first time I sent it down town alone.

It's nigh to impossible to keep nothin' in the town with Mr. Kimball.