This statement was made with a vigor that supported its truth in full.
Mrs. Lathrop quivered slightly, and waited breathlessly to hear more.
"I wish I"d never gone, "n" for the future, Mrs. Lathrop, I"ll thank you to never so much "s breathe a relation anywhere near me, for I"ve had enough family to-day to last me from here to Gabriel "n" his trumpet, "n" "f I ever forget this hour may I die in that one."
Mrs. Lathrop gasped.
Susan coughed and gripped her hands tightly together.
"Mrs. Lathrop, the Bible says "s we may never know what a day "ll bring forth, "n" "f I"d "a" known that this day was gettin" ready to hatch such a Cousin Marion "s I found, I certainly would "a" spent it some other way. When I think o" the cheerful lovin" spirit "s I pinned my wave on in, "n" then reflect on what I pinned it on to, I can"t but feel "t if I ain"t a fool I "d ought to be one, "n" I can"t say nothin" stronger for the way I feel. They say "s the Devil "s the father o" lies, but it"s a slander. The Devil is a floatin" angel by the side o" that letter "s I found. It was a lie, Mrs. Lathrop, a lie from first to last, "n" it makes my blood run cold to think o" all the years that I lived right underneath it "n" never "s much "s dreamed o"
the iniquity up in that old trunk over my head."
Mrs. Lathrop gasped again.
"Mrs. Lathrop, I never had it in me to conceal nothin" from you. We"ve been good friends "n" true through thick "n" thin, through my father "n" your son "n" every other species o" Heaven-sent infliction, f"r years "n" years "n" years. "N" now I ain"t goin" to shut you out o"
the inside truth o" this awful day. You see me set off this mornin"
bright "n" beamin", "n" you see me come home this night burnin" "n"
bitter, "n" it"s nothin" but right"s you sh"d be fully took in to the betwixt "n" between. It"ll mebbe be a lesson to you some day if anythin" sh"d come up "s led you to look to be extra happy all of a sudden, "n" you"ll remember this hour "n" jus" firmly go back into the house "n" shut the door "n" say, "Life"s a delusion "n" a snare, like Susan Clegg"s Cousin Marion." It"s better for you to learn the lesson "s all is vanity now, than to wait "n" have it fall on your head like a unexpected pickle-jar, the way "s this day "s fell on mine."
Mrs. Lathrop"s eyes grew big.
"Mrs. Lathrop, in the first place I started out all wrong. Knoxville ain"t on this line a _tall_. It"s on the A. "n" B., "n" only the junction is on this line. Mrs. Lathrop, don"t you never trust yourself to no junction in this world o" sin "n" sorrow, whatever else you may in your folly see fit to commit. My experience c"n jus" "s well be a warnin" to you too, f"r I was put off three miles from where there ain"t no omnibus, "n" I had to leg it over a road "s is laid out three hills to the mile. I ain"t one "s is give to idle words, but I will remark "t by the time I"d clum the fourth hill I hadn"t no kind o"
family feelin"s left alive within me, "n" when I did finally get to Knoxville I was so nigh to puffed out "t I c"d hardly find breath to ask where Cousin Marion _did_ live. It was a boy skippin" rope "s I asked, "n" he never quit skippin" for one second out o" politeness.
Seems he was doin" a thousand steady on a bet, "n" I"m free to confess "s I felt pretty foolish askin" questions "n" his rope like to catch on my nose every other word. I finally made out, though, "s Cousin Marion lived out the other end o" town, "n" so I walked on till I come to the road. Mrs. Lathrop, it was another road o" hills, "n" I must say "s the sight made my blood run cold for the third time in one day.
F"r a minute I thought seriously o" jus" takin" a train away ag"in "n"
lettin" Cousin Marion fiddle alone f"r another fifty years, f"r I give you my word o" honor, Mrs. Lathrop, "s I was "most dead, "n" Lord only knows what made me keep on, f"r what came after was enough to shake my faith in the Lord forever "f I really believed "s any one but Cousin Marion had one word to say in the matter. But I was raised to finish up all things "s is begun, "n" I snapped my teeth tight together "n"
set out over them extra hills with all the resignation "s I c"d sc.r.a.pe up f"r the need o" the moment. I was hot inside "n" hot outside, but I"d made up my mind to see the thing through "n" so I pegged right along.
"Well, Mrs. Lathrop, "f I was on the witness stand with Bibles above "n" below, I c"d n"t but swear "s it was two miles "f it was a cent.
"N" even then they was a long two miles. I was on my very last legs when I got there, "n" nothin" "t I see revived me none. Mrs. Lathrop, the awfullest old tumble-down house "s ever you see--pigs in the yard, "n" "Prim" on the gate-post! "N" me standin" pantin" for breath, "n"
related to "em all!"
Mrs. Lathrop"s eyes grew bigger and bigger.
"There was a old man a-sittin" on a chair on the porch in one boot "n"
one slipper "n" a cane. He looked "t me "s if it "d be nothin" but a joy to him to eat me up alive "n" jus" relish to gnaw the bones afterwards. You c"n maybe realize, Mrs. Lathrop, "s I wasn"t no ways happy "s I walked a little piece up towards him "n" said "s I "d like to see my cousin, Marion Prim. He give such a nod "s seemed "s if his head "d fly off, "n" I took it "s she was somewhere near "n" a-comin".
So, "s I was all used up, I jus" started to sink right down on the steps to wait for her.
"Oh, my soul "n" body, that minute!--The awful shock!--Oh, Mrs.
Lathrop! you never in all your life dreamed such a yell "s he give! I like to "a" went deaf! I jumped worse "n "f I "d been shot stone-dead.
Wild whoopin" Indians was sleepin" babes beside him. "Not on my steps!" he shrieked, poundin" with his cane "n" shakin" with his fist,--"not on my steps," he howled louder "n all below,--"not while I "m alive!--not while I c"n prevent!--not while I c"n help it!--no Clegg sits afore me, not now "n" not never!" You c"n imagine, Mrs.
Lathrop, "s I didn"t get very far to sat down under them circ.u.mstances. I trembled all over, "n" I backed off quite a little ways "n" looked at him. He kept chokin" "n" gaspin" "n" purple "n"
swallowin", "n" after a while I got up courage to ask him where Cousin Marion was. "N" then--oh, Mrs. Lathrop!--"n" then--well, honest, I thought"s he was goin" to bust!--"n" then, "I"m Cousin Marion!" he yelled right in my face,--"I"m Cousin Marion, Susan Clegg!" "n" at that, Mrs. Lathrop, I went so faint in my knees "n" so rumbly in my ears "t you c"d "a" clubbed me with a straw "n" gagged me with a wisp o" hay that minute. I jus" stood starin", "n" you c"n believe me or not just"s you please, but I never was so nigh to fallen over backwards in all my life before. I c"d feel cold drops like water on a duck"s back, "n" my senses was that mixed "t "f you"d told me "s my heels was in my hair I wouldn"t "a" doubted you. I d"n" know "s I ever was scared in all my life afore, but when he screamed them awful words, my very insides got clammy. I c"d n"t say a livin" word, I c"d n"t make a livin" move; I c"d only stand "n" shake "n" listen, "n" him keepin" on yellin" "n" poundin" like mad.
""Susan Clegg," he screamed, "Susan Clegg,"--"n" he kep" poundin"
harder "n" harder "n" gettin" redder "n" redder every minute,--"Susan Clegg, I"m glad you"ve come; I"ve wanted you to come; I"ve wanted you to come f"r a long time. I did n"t know who it"d be, but I "ve been wantin" somebody to come "n" been waitin" f"r "em to come f"r fifty years "n" more too. I"ve been holdin in f"r fifty years! I"ve been thinkin" what I wanted to say f"r fifty years! Now I c"n say it! Now I c"n be happy sayin" it! I wish it was your father"s ears a-shiverin"
there afore me, but yours "ll do."
"My heavens alive, Mrs. Lathrop, you"d ought to "a" seen him! He went from red to purple "n" from purple to mos" black, "n" his eyes stood right out, "n" he shook his cane right in my face "n" screamed loud enough to set the dead jumpin".
""Susan Clegg, your father was a shark! Susan Clegg, your father was a skinflint! Susan Clegg, your father was a miser! Susan Clegg, your father was a thief!" "n" all this with me where I c"dn"t but hear, Mrs. Lathrop, "n" he must "a" known it too. "Susan Clegg, I was a young man in difficulties," he says, ""n" I wanted a hunderd dollars bad," he says, ""n" "f I"d had it I c"d "a" bought into a nice business "n" married a nice girl with a nice property "n" made this place blossom like a wilderness "n" seen the fig-trees o" my fig-trees sittin" in my shade. "N" I went to your father, "n" I told him all the inmost recesses o" my heart o" hearts," he says, ""n" "xplained to him how "n" why "n" wherefore the business c"dn"t but pay, "n" then took him to see the girl "n" p"inted out all her good p"ints, "n" then asked him to lend me the hunderd dollars, "n" hired a livery horse "n"
drove him home to think about it. "N" what followed after, Susan Clegg,"--oh, Mrs. Lathrop, I never see the like o" the way he suddenly swelled "n" blued right then!--""n" what come next? I waited the wait o" the innocent "n" trustin" for one long "n" unremittin" week, "n"
then, when I was nigh to mad with sittin" on red-hot needles by day "n" by night without let or hindrance, what did he answer?--what did he answer to him "s laid in the hollow o" his hand, confidin" fully "n" freely in his seein" what a good investment it "d be? What did he answer, Susan Clegg? He answered "s he c"d n"t do it, "n" "s it was n"t no possible use whatever to ask him again! Susan Clegg, I smashed a winder," he says, "right then "n" there," he says, ""n" I writ a letter "n" it must "a" been that letter "s you found, f"r I never writ him no other afore or after. "N" then I went West to make my fortune "n" I did n"t make no fortune, but I got my hands on a hunderd dollars "n" I come home lickety-split to buy that business "n" marry that girl. I went first to see about the business "s it was right "n"
natural "t I sh"d, "n" what did I find, Susan Clegg, what did I find?"
Mrs. Lathrop, I never see the like in all my days, born or unborn. I thought he"d yell my head off. "I found your father"d bought the business, my business, "n" I was left out in the freezin", icy cold!
Susan Clegg, I smashed a table," he says, ""n" two chairs," he says, ""n" I went to see the girl "n" ask her to wait a little longer,--"n", Fire "n" Brimstone "n" Saltpetre, "f your father hadn"t gone "n"
married the girl,--my girl!
"""N" there was all below to pay," he says, ""n" I vowed b.l.o.o.d.y murder," he says, ""n" they had me up "n" bound me over to keep the peace, "n" then they moved away. "N" I sat down to wait f"r my vengeance," he says, ""n" I"ve waited fifty years," he says. "I"ve spent fifty years grindin" my teeth "n" whettin" the edge o" my fury, "n" now--"
"Mrs. Lathrop, I didn"t wait to hear no more. I didn"t feel like I had strength to. I run. "N", heavens, _how_ I run! I lit out like I was paid for it, "n" I bet I clum every last one o" them hills "s fast on the up "s the down. When I got to the station there was a train jus"
pullin" out f"r I didn"t know where, "n" I hopped aboard like I was shot. It took me to Meadville, "n" I had to pay the "xtra fare "n"
wait two hours to get another back here, "n" I ain"t really half through shakin" yet."
Susan stopped, took out her handkerchief and carefully pa.s.sed it over her brow as one who strives to brush away tormenting visions.
Mrs. Lathrop sat mute and motionless, completely overwhelmed by the recital of her friend"s tragic story.
After a few minutes Miss Clegg put her handkerchief back in her pocket and turned a sad and solemn, yet tender look upon her companion.
"Lord knows I"m done with relations from this day on," she said slowly but with great distinctness. "I feel like hereafter I"ll be content with jus" you, Mrs. Lathrop, "n" I can"t say nothin" stronger f"r what I"ve jus" lived through."
Mrs. Lathrop"s eyes filled with grat.i.tude at this compliment.
But she said nothing.
V
THE MINISTER"S VACATION
Mrs. Lathrop had been unable to attend the usual Friday afternoon Sewing Society on account of her pickling. She had completely forgotten what day of the week it was until she had picked all of a dozen cuc.u.mbers and it was then too late to stay the tide of events.
The pickling had to go forward, and one of the best listeners in the Sewing Society was forced to remain away in consequence.
"I guess you"ll have to go a--" she called across the open s.p.a.ce between their kitchen doors when she saw Susan putting on her black mitts in the window about two o"clock,--the hour at which they usually sallied forth in company.
"Alone," Susan called back--"well, I should say "t I am goin" alone.
"F you c"u"d see yourself this minute, Mrs. Lathrop; you"d easy understand "t even "f you wanted to go no one in their senses "d be able to go with you f"r fear o" bein" took for a lunatic."
Mrs. Lathrop glanced dubiously down over herself.
"I spilt--" she began apologetically.
"I c"n see it from here," said Susan, ""n" "s long "s we"re on the subjeck I want to remark right now "t, with the wind settin" the way it "s blowin" to-day, I don"t want you to burn nothin" while I"m gone.
"F you"ll excuse my bein" so open with you, Mrs. Lathrop, I"ll say "t a woman in your circ.u.mstances ought not to waste nothin" by burnin" it anyhow, "n" "f she does do anythin" so foolish no woman in my circ.u.mstances "d ought to have her house all smelled up."
"I ain"t goin"--" began the neighbor.