by Anne Warner
Produced by Beginners Projects, Mary Meehan and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Thisfile was produced from images generously made availableby The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
SUSAN CLEGG
AND HER LOVE AFFAIRS
BY ANNE WARNER
Author of "The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary," "Sunshine Jane," etc.
WITH FRONTISPIECE BY H. M. BRETT
BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1916
_Copyright, 1916_,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
_All rights reserved_
Published, May, 1916 Reprinted, May, 1916
"Nothing but the floor stopped me from falling through toChina." FRONTISPIECE. _See Page 144._]
CONTENTS
I. SUSAN CLEGG'S COURTING 1
II. SUSAN CLEGG AND THE CHINESE LADY 32
III. SUSAN CLEGG SOLVES THE MYSTERY 58
IV. SUSAN CLEGG AND THE OLIVE BRANCH 80
V. SUSAN CLEGG'S "IMPROVEMENTS" 104
VI. SUSAN CLEGG UPROOTED 129
VII. SUSAN CLEGG UNSETTLED 153
VIII. SUSAN CLEGG AND THE CYCLONE 176
IX. SUSAN CLEGG'S PRACTICAL FRIEND 216
X. SUSAN CLEGG DEVELOPS IMAGINATION 236
XI. SUSAN CLEGG AND THE PLAYWRIGHT 256
XII. SUSAN CLEGG'S DISAPPEARANCE 277
SUSAN CLEGG AND HER LOVE AFFAIRS
I
SUSAN CLEGG'S COURTING
Mrs. Lathrop sat on her front piazza, and Susan Clegg sat with her. Mrs.Lathrop was rocking, and Susan was just back from the Sewing Society.Neither Mrs. Lathrop nor Susan was materially altered since we saw themlast. Time had moved on a bit, but not a great deal, and although bothwere older, still they were not much older.
They were not enough older for Mrs. Lathrop to have had a new rocker,nor for Susan to have purchased a new bonnet. Susan indeed looked almostabsolutely unaltered. She was a woman of the best wearing quality; shewas hard and firm as ever, and if there were any plating about her, itwas of the quadruple kind and would last.
If the reader knows Susan Clegg at all, he will surmise that she wastalking. And he will be right. Susan was most emphatically talking. Shehad returned from the Sewing Society full to the brim, and Mrs. Lathropwas already enjoying the overflow. Mrs. Lathrop liked to rock andlisten. She never went to the Sewing Society herself--she never wentanywhere.
"We was talking about dreams," Susan was saying; "it's a very curiousthing about dreams. Do you know, Mrs. Lathrop," wrinkling her brow andregarding her friend with that look of friendship which is not blind toany faults, "do you know, Mrs. Lathrop, they said down there that dreamsalways go by contraries. We was discussing it for a long time, and theyended up by making me believe in it. You see, it all began by my sayinghow I dreamed last night that Jathrop was back, and he was a cat andyour cat, too, and he did something he wasn't let to, and you made onejump at him, and out of the window he went. Now that was a very strangedream for me to have dreamed, Mrs. Lathrop, and Mrs. Lupey, who'sstaying with Mrs. Macy to-day and maybe to-morrow, too, says she's sureit's a sign. She says if dreams go by contraries, mine ought to be asign as Jathrop is coming back, for the contraries is all there: Jathrop_wasn't_ a cat, and he never done nothing that he shouldn't--nor that heshould, neither--and you never jump--I don't believe you've jumped inyears, have you?"
"I--" began Mrs. Lathrop reminiscently.
"Oh, that time don't count," said Susan, "it was just my ball of yarn,even if it did look like a rat; I meant a jump when you meant it; youdidn't mean that jump. Well, an' to go back to the dream and what wassaid about it and to tell you the rest of it, there wasn't any more ofit, but there was plenty more said about it. All of the dream was thatthe cat went out of the window, and I woke up, but, oh, my, how we didtalk! Gran'ma Mullins wanted to know in the first place how I knew thatthe cat was Jathrop. She was most interested in that, for she says sheoften dreams of animals, but it never struck her that they might be anyone she knew. She dreamed she found a daddy-long-legs looking in herbureau drawer the other night, but she never gave it another thought.She'll be more careful after this, I guess. Well, then I begun toconsider, and for the life of me I can't think how I knew that that catwas Jathrop. As I remember it was a very common looking cat, but beingcommon looking wouldn't mean Jathrop. Jathrop was common looking, butnot a common cat kind of common looking. It was a very strange dream,Mrs. Lathrop, the more I consider it, the more I can't see what give itto me. I finished up the doughnuts just before I went to bed, for I wasafraid they'd mold in another day with this damp weather, but it don'tseem as if doughnuts ought to result in cats like Jathrop. If I'ddreamed of mice, it'd been different, for some of the doughnuts wasgnawed in a way as showed as there'd been mice in the jar. It does beatall how mice get about. Maybe it was the mice made me think Jathrop wasa cat. But even then I can't see how I did come to dream that dream.Unless it was a sign. Mrs. Lupey's sure it was a sign. We talked aboutsigns the whole of the Sewing Society. Dreams and signs. Everybody toldall they knew. Mrs. Macy told about her snow dream. Whenever Mrs. Macyhas her snow dream, somebody dies. She says it's so interesting to lookin a paper the next time she gets hold of one and see who it was. Onetime she thought it was Edgar Allen Poe, but when she read it overtwice, she see that it was just that he'd been born. She says her snowdream's a wonderful sign; it's never failed once. She dreamed it thenight before the earthquake in Italy, and she says to think how manydied of it that time!
"This started Gran'ma Mullins, and Gran'ma Mullins told about that dreamshe had the year before she met her husband. That was an awful dream. Iwonder she met her husband a _tall_ after it. She thought she was alonein a thick wood, and she saw a man coming, and she was scared to death.She says she can feel her trembling now. She didn't know what to do,'cause if she'd hid among the trees he couldn't have seen her, and thatidea scared her as bad as the other. So she just stood and shook andwatched the man coming nearer and nearer. I've heard her tell the storya hundred times, but my blood always sort o' runs cold to hear it. Theman come nearer and nearer and, my, but she says he _was_ a man! She wasjust a young girl, but she was old enough to be afraid, and old enoughnot to want to hide from him, neither. She says it was an awful lessonto her about going in woods alone, because of course you can't neverexpect any sympathy if the man does murder you or kiss you--everybody'lljust say, 'Why didn't she hide in the woods?' Well, Gran'ma Mullinssays there she stood, and she can see herself still standing there. Shesays she's never been in the woods since just on account of thatdream--and then, too, she's one of those that the mosquitos all get onin the woods. And then, besides, she doesn't like woods, anyway. Andthen, besides, there ain't no thick woods around here. But, anyhow, youknow what happened--just as he got to her she woke up, and I must say ofall the tame stories to have to sit and listen to over and over, thatdream of Gran'ma Mullins is the tamest. I get tired the minute shebegins it, but my dream had started every one to telling signs, and soof course Gran'ma Mullins had to tell hers along with the rest.
"When she was done Mrs. Lupey told us about her mother, Mrs. Kitts, anda curious kind of prophetic dream she used to have and kept right onhaving up to the day she died. Mrs. Lupey said she never heard the likeof those dreams of her mother's, and
I guess nobody else ever has,either. No, nor never will. Well, it seems Mrs. Kitts used to dream shewas falling out of bed, and the curious part is that she always _did_fall out of bed just as she dreamed it, so it never failed to come true.She'd dream she hit the floor _bang!_ and the next second she'd hit thefloor _bang!_ Mrs. Lupey said she never saw such a dream for comingtrue; if old Mrs. Kitts dreamed she hit her head, she'd hit her head,and the time she dreamed she sprained her wrist, she sprained her wrist,and the time she had her stroke, as soon as her mind was got back inplace she told them she'd dreamed she had a stroke in her chair justbefore she fell out of her chair with the stroke. Even the minister'swife didn't have a word to say.
"Mrs. Lupey said her mother was a most remarkable woman. She's verysorry now she didn't board that painter for a portrait of her. Thepainter was so awful took with old Mrs. Kitts that he was willing to doher for six weeks and with the frame for two months. But Mrs. Lupey wasafraid to have a painter around. She'd just read a detective story abouta painter that killed the woman he was painting because he didn't wantany one else to paint her. Mrs. Lupey said it was a very Frenchystory--there was a lot between the lines and on the lines, too--as shecouldn't make out, but it taught her never to have painters around, foryou never could be sure in a house with four other women that he'd killthe one he was painting. But she's sorry now, for she's older now andwiser and a match for any painter going, long-haired, short-haired or nohair at all. But it's too late now, and there's Mrs. Kitts deadunpainted, and all they've got left is a sweet memory and that cane sheused to hit at 'em with when they weren't spry enough to suit her, andher hymn-book which she marked up without telling any one and left for aremembrance. Mrs. Lupey says such markings you never heard of.
"When Mrs. Lupey was all done, Mrs. Brown took her turn and told ussome very interesting things about Amelia. Seems Amelia is so faradvanced in learning what nobody can understand that she can see quite alittle ways ahead now and tell just what she's going to do. She can'tsee for the rest of the family, but she can see for herself. Sometimesit's just a day ahead, and sometimes it's a long way ahead. The longestway ahead that she's seen yet is that she can't see herself ever gettingup to breakfast again. Mrs. Brown says of course she respects Amelia'sreligious views, but it's trying when Amelia wants to go to church, butdoesn't see herself going, so has to stay at home. She says Amelia justloves to sew, but she can't see herself sewing any more, so she's givenit all up. She says Amelia's got a superior mind--anybody can tell thatonly to see the way she's took to doing her hair--but she says it's alittle hard on young Doctor Brown and her, who haven't got superiorminds, to live with her. Amelia don't want to kill flies any more, forfear they're going to be her blood relations a million years from now,and Mrs. Brown says she never was any good once a mouse was caught, butnow she won't even hear to setting a trap; she says all things has equalrights, and if she feels a spider, some one has got to take it off herand set it gently outside on the grass. Oh, Mrs. Brown says, Amelia'svery hard to live up to, even with the best will in the world. Mrs.--"
Here Susan was interrupted by Brunhilde Susan, the minister's youngestchild, who brought the evening milk and the evening paper.
"There was a letter, so I brought that, too," said Brunhilde Susan.
"A letter!" said Susan in surprise.
"It's for Mrs. Lathrop," said Brunhilde Susan.
"For me!" said Mrs. Lathrop in even greater surprise.
"Yes'm," said Brunhilde Susan.
A letter for Mrs. Lathrop was indeed a surprise, as that good lady hadonly received two in the last five years. As those had been of theleast interesting variety, she looked upon the present one with but mildinterest. The next minute she gave a scream, for, turning it over assome people always do turn a letter over before opening it, she read onthe back "Return to Jathrop Lathrop..." and her fingers turning numbwith surprise and her head dizzy for the same reason, she dropped it onthe floor forthwith.
Brunhilde Susan had turned and gone back down the walk. Miss Clegg, whohad been regarding her friend's slowness to take action withill-concealed impatience, now made no attempt at concealing anything,but leaned over abruptly and picked up the letter. As soon as she lookedat it she came near dropping it, too. "From Jathrop!" she exclaimed, ina tone appalled. "Well, Mrs. Lathrop!"
Mrs. Lathrop was quite speechless. Susan held the letter and began toregard it closely. It was quite a minute before another sound was made,then suddenly a light burst over the younger woman's face. "It's mydream. I told you so. It _was_ a sign, just as Mrs. Lupey said. He'scoming back!"
She looked toward Mrs. Lathrop, but Mrs. Lathrop still sat quite limpand gasping for breath.
"Shall I open it and read it to you?" Susan then suggested.
"Y--y--" began Mrs. Lathrop and could get no further.
At that Susan promptly opened the letter. It was written on the paper ofa Chicago hotel, and ran thus:
"_Dear Mother_:
"Years have passed by, and here I am on my way home again. I've been to the Klondike and am now rich and on my way home. I hope that you are well and safe at home. You'll be glad to see me home again, I know. How is everybody at home? How is Susan Clegg? I shall get home Saturday morning.
"Your afft. son, "J. LATHROP, ESQ."
That was all and surely it was quite enough.
"Well, I declare!" Susan Clegg said, staring first at the letter andthen at the mother. "Well, Mrs. Lathrop! Well, I declare. It _was_ asign. You and me'll never doubt signs after _this_, I guess."
Mrs. Lathrop made an effort to rally, but only succeeded in just feeblyshaking her head.
Susan continued to hold the letter in her hand and contemplate it.Another slow minute or two passed.
But at last the wheels of life began to turn again, and that activemind, which grasped so much so readily, grasped this news, too. MissClegg ceased to view the letter and began to take action regarding it.
"Did you notice what he says here, Mrs. Lathrop? He says he's rich. Idon't know whether you noticed or not as I read, but he says he's rich.I wonder how rich he means!"
Mrs. Lathrop opened and shut her eyes in a futile way that she had, butcontinued speechless.
"Rich," repeated Miss Clegg, "and me dreaming of him last night; that'svery curious, when you come to think of it, 'cause I'm rich, too. And Iwas dreaming of him! It doesn't make any difference my thinking he was acat; I knew it was Jathrop, even if he was only a cat in a dream.Strange my dreaming of him that way! I can see him flying out of thewindow right now. He was one of those lanky, long cats that eat fromdawn till dark and every time your back's turned and yet keep theneighbors saying you starve it. And to think it was Jathrop all thetime! Thinking of me right that minute, probably. And he says, 'How'sSusan Clegg?' And he's rich. I _do_ wonder what he'd call rich!"
Susan paused and looked at her friend, but Mrs. Lathrop remained dumb.
"The Klondike, that's where he went to, was it? Goodness, I wonder howhe ever got there! Well, I'll never be surprised at nothing after this.I've had many little surprises in my life, but never nothing to equalthis. Jathrop Lathrop come back rich! Why, the whole town will be at thestation to meet him to-morrow. I wonder if he'll come in the parlor-car!Think of Jathrop being a cat overnight and coming in a parlor-car nextday! And he says, 'How's Susan Clegg?'"
The last three words seemed to make quite an impression on Susan, butMrs. Lathrop appeared smashed so supremely flat that nothing could makeany further impression on her. She continued dumb, and Susan continuedto hold the letter and comment on it.
"I wonder what he looks like now. I wonder if he's grown any betterlooking! I certainly do wonder if he's got any homelier. And he's rich!Why, nobody from this town has ever gone away and got rich before, notthat I can remember. I call myself a rich woman, but I ain't rich enoughto dream of writing it in a letter. I certainly should like to knowwhat Jathrop calls being rich. He couldn't possibly have millions, or itwould have reache
d here somehow. Maybe he's been digging under anothername! I suppose three or four thousand would seem enough to make himcall himself rich. If he comes home with three or four thousand andcalls that being rich, I shall certainly feel very sorry for you, Mrs.Lathrop. He'll be very airy over his money, and he'll live on yours. Ifyou've got to have any one live with you, it's better for them to haveno money a _tall_, because if they've got ever such a little, theyalways feel so perky over it. Mrs. Brown says if Amelia didn't have thatsix dollars and seventy-five cents a month from her dead mother, she'dbe much easier to live with. Mrs. Brown says whenever Doctor Brown trysto control Amelia, Amelia hops up and says she'll pay for it with herown money. Mrs. Brown says to hear Amelia, you'd think she had at leastten dollars a month of her own. Mrs. Brown's so sad over Amelia. Ameliasees herself doing such outlandish things some days. Mrs. Brown saysyour son's wife is the biggest puzzle a woman ever gets. I guess Mrs.Brown would have liked young Doctor Brown never to marry."
Mrs. Lathrop opened her mouth and shut it again.
"I suppose you're thinking where to put Jathrop when he comes," Susansaid quickly. "I've been thinking of that, too. Where can you put him,anyway? He never can sleep in that little shed bedroom where he used tosleep, if he's really rich, and he'll have to have some place to washbefore we can find out."
Mrs. Lathrop looked distressed. "I--" she began.
"Oh, that wouldn't do," said Susan, knitting her brows quickly. "Thinkof the work of changing all your things. No, I'll tell you what's thebest thing to do; he can sleep over at my house. Father's room was allcleaned last week, and I'll make up the bed, and Jathrop can sleep thereuntil we find out how to treat him. Maybe his old shed bedroom will do,after all, or maybe he's so awfully rich he'll enjoy sleeping in it,like the president liked to stack hay. Maybe he'll ask nothing betterthan to chop wood and take the ashes out of the stove just for a change.I do wonder how rich he is. If he's rich enough to have a private car, Iexpect this town _will_ open its eyes. You'll see a great change in yourposition, Mrs. Lathrop, if Jathrop comes in a private car to-morrowmorning. There's something about a private car as makes everybody steparound lively. I don't say that I shan't respect him more myself if hecomes in a private car. But he can sleep one night in father's room,anyway, although if he calls it being rich to come home with just two orthree thousand, I think he'd better understand it's for just one nightright from the start. I wouldn't want Jathrop to think that I had anytime to waste on him if he calls just two or three thousand being rich.It'd be no wonder I dreamed he was a cat, if he's got the face to callthat being rich. But that would be just like Jathrop. You know yourselfthat if Jathrop could ever do anything to disappoint anybody, he neverlet the chance slide. I never had no use for Jathrop Lathrop, as youknow to your cost, Mrs. Lathrop. But, still, if he really is rich, Ihaven't got anything against him, and I'll tell you what I'll do rightnow: I'll go home and put that room in order and get my supper, and thenafter supper I'll just run down to the square and see if anybody elseknows, and then I'll come back and tell you if they do. It's no use yourtrying to put things a little in order, because you couldn't straightenthis place up in a month, and, besides, it isn't worth fussing till weknow how rich he is. He may just have writ that in for a joke--to breakit to you gently that he's coming back again to live here. Heaven helpyou if that's the case, Mrs. Lathrop, for Jathrop never will. It isn'tin me to deceive so much as a fly on the window, and I never havedeceived you and I never will."
With which promise Susan took her departure.
It was all of three hours--quite nine in the evening--when Susan cameback. She found Mrs. Lathrop transferred to her back porch and seeminglyin a somewhat less complete state of total paralysis than when she hadleft her.
Mrs. Lathrop looked up as her friend approached and smiled.
"Nobody knew," Susan announced as she mounted the steps, "but every oneknows now, for I told them. Well, Mrs. Lathrop, you never saw anythinglike it. There isn't a person in town as ever expected to see Jathropagain, and only about three as always thought he'd come back rich. Everyone's going to the station to-morrow morning, even Mrs. Macy. Mrs. Macysays if it's one of the mornings she can't walk, she'll hire Hiram andhis wheelbarrow just as she does for church those Sundays. Everybody'sso interested. I told them about the private car, and everybody hopesthat he's got one, and that he'll come in it. Mr. Dill says he must berich if he's been to the Klondike and come back a _tall_. He saysthere's no halfway work about the Klondike. Either you come back amillionaire or else you eat first your dog and then your boots andthat's the last of you. Gran'ma Mullins says she never heard of eatingboots in the Klondike; she thought you rode on a sled there and thatthere weren't any women. She says Hiram's spoken of going there once ortwice, and Lucy thought maybe the coasting would do him good, butGran'ma Mullins says not while she's alive, no, sir. Why, it's 'wayacross America and up a ways, and so many people want to go up that theyhave to sleep three in a berth, and she says will you only think ofHiram, with the way she's brought him up, three in a berth. If the bedain't tucked in with Gran'ma Mullins' own particular kind of tuck, Hiramkicks at night and don't get any proper nourishment out of his sleep.No, Gran'ma Mullins says she couldn't think of Hiram in the Klondikesleeping under a snow-pile and having to hunt up a whale whenever he wasin need of more kerosene oil. And she says what good would millions doher with the bones of the only baby she ever had feeding whatever kindof creature they have up there. No, she says, no, and a million timesmore, no; she's been reading about it in a New York paper that camewrapped around her new stove lid, and she knows all there is to know onthat subject now. She says a New York paper is so interesting. She saysthe way they print them makes it very entertaining. She was readingabout a sea serpent, and when she turned, she turned wrong, and she readtwelve columns about the suffragettes, looking eagerly to see when thesea serpent was going on again. She says she give up trying to see whythey print them so or ever trying to finish any one subject at a time;she just goes regularly through the paper now and lets the subjectsfight it out to suit themselves. She says it makes the last part veryinteresting. You read about a baby, and after a while you find outwhether it's the Queen of Spain's or just a race-horse. She says shesupposes next Sunday there'll be a picture of Jathrop in the paper;maybe there'll be a view of this house with you and me. I think thatthat would be very interesting."
Susan paused to consider the idyllic little picture thus presented toher mind's eye, and Mrs. Lathrop continued to say nothing. After a whileSusan went on again:
"I've been thinking a good deal about that letter, Mrs. Lathrop. I don'tknow whether you noticed or not, but to my order of thinking it was verystrange his saying, 'How's Susan Clegg?' That's a curious thing for anunmarried man to ask his mother about an unmarried woman. When you cometo consider how Jathrop was wild to marry me once, it really means aterrible lot. I was the first woman except you he ever kissed; he wasn'tbut a year old, and I was thirteen, but those things make an impression.I don't mind telling you that I've often thought about Jathropnights--and days, too. And lately I've been thinking of him more andmore. And you can see that he's been feeling the same about me, for he'sshowed that plain enough by saying in black and white, 'How's SusanClegg?' Jathrop is a very silent nature, you can see that from his neverwriting even to his own mother in all these years. It means a good dealwhen a silent nature opens its mouth all of a sudden and writes, 'How'sSusan Clegg?' And then my dreaming of him was so strange. He had softgray fur and big bright yellow eyes, and the way he flew out of thewindow! Even in my dream I noticed how nice he jumped. He made abeautiful cat. And you know I always stood up for him, Mrs. Lathrop,I always did that. Even when I thought he needed lynching as muchas anybody, I never said so. And now he's come back rich, and he'scoming home to you and me, and he says, 'How's Susan Clegg?''How's--Susan--Clegg?'"
Susan's voice died dreamily away. Mrs. Lathrop said nothing. After aminute Susan's voice went on again: "It's too bad I haven't time to sortof fres
hen up my striped silk. It's got awful creasy laying folded solong. I'd of put some new braid around the bottom if I'd known, and ifthis town wasn't so noticey, I'd put my hair up on rollers to-night. Alittle crimp sets my wave off so. But, laws, everybody'd be asking why Idid it, and if Jathrop's got any idea of me in his head, it'll be veryeasy to knock it right straight out if this town gets first chance athim. But I don't intend that this town shall get first chance at him. Ishall be on that platform to-morrow morning, and I'll be the nearest tothat train, and once he gets off that train, I shall bring him rightstraight up here to you and me. It's safest, and it's his duty, too. Assoon as you've seen him, I'll take him over to my house to wash. ThenI'll give him his breakfast, and by the time he's done his breakfast, ifhe really means anything, I'll know it. If he really means anything,we'll come over after breakfast, and it'll do your heart good to seehow happy we'll look. He can leave his bag in father's room then, forwe'll have so much to talk over it'll be more convenient to take himover there. You can see that for yourself, Mrs. Lathrop--you know howyoung people like to be alone together when they're engaged, and a womanof my age don't need no looking after any longer. I'm no Gran'ma Mullinsto be worrying over woods nor yet any Mrs. Lupey as supposes every manyou let into your house may be going to hit you over the head whenyou're thinking of something pleasant.
"No, I ain't afraid of Jathrop Lathrop nor of any other man alive, thankheaven. _But_, if I find out as he don't mean anything, I shall marchhim over to you in sharp order, bag and all. If he don't mean anything,I'll soon know the reason why, and as soon as I know the reason why,I'll send Mr. Jathrop Lathrop flying. 'How's Susan Clegg?' indeed! He'llfind it's a very dangerous joke to go joking about me, no matter howmuch money he's scraped out of the Klondike. A joke is a thing as Inever stand, Mrs. Lathrop, and if you'd been one as joked, you'd havefound that out to your deep and abiding sorrow long ago. Very few peoplehave ever tried to have any fun with me, and I've got even with the mostof them, I'm happy to remark. I shall find out yet who sent me thatcomic valentine with the man skipping over the edge of the world and meafter him with a net, and when I do find out, I'll get even about that,too. Me with a net! I'd like to see myself skipping after any man thatwas skipping away from me. If he was skipping toward me, I wouldn'tmarry him--not 'nless I loved him. I know that. Love is a thing as youcan't raise and lower just as the fancy strikes you. A woman can't lovebut once, and I've got a kind of warm bubbling all around my heart astells me that I've loved that once and that it was Jathrop. It's verystrange, Mrs. Lathrop, but I've been thinking of Jathrop a great deallately. I keep remembering more and more how much I've been thinkingabout him. I suppose he was thinking of me, and that's what started me.'How's Susan Clegg?' I can just seem to hear Jathrop's voice; Jathrophad a very strange voice. 'How's Susan Clegg?'
"The mind is a curious thing, when you stop to consider, Mrs. Lathrop.Mrs. Brown says Amelia says minds can communicate if you know how. Mrs.Brown says if she calls to Amelia when she's in the hammock and Ameliadon't answer, Amelia always explains afterwards as she wascommunicating.
"It all shows that the mind is a wonderful thing. There was Jathrop andme communicating regularly, and me so little understanding what it allmeant that I dreamed he was a cat. I can't get over that dream. I wonderif that meant that he's got whiskers now. If he's got whiskers, and heloves me, he's got to cut 'em right straight off. You'll have to speakto him about that as soon as you see him, Mrs. Lathrop, for I won't beable to, of course. And you can see for yourself that I couldn't havewhiskers around. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and I've had noexperience with whiskers."
Mrs. Lathrop promised to remonstrate with Jathrop if he really hadwhiskers, and after some further conversation Susan went home and to bedand slept soundly. In the morning she was up very promptly, and Mrs.Lathrop saw her off for the station.
The whole town was at the station. But in front of them all--closest tothe track--stood Susan Clegg.
It was a breathless moment when Johnny ran out with the flag and thetrain stopped. Susan motioned the rest back with dignity and stood herground alone. The car door opened, and a stout, homely man, with eyesset wide apart and a very large mouth, appeared on the platform. He waswell dressed and carried an alligator-skin traveling-bag.
Everybody gasped. But it was not his appearance nor the alligator-skinbag that caused them to gasp. It was that Jathrop Lathrop, returningafter his long absence, had brought back a lady with him.
