have no choice) she didn’t say nothin’ at all, only just begun to pick up all her work things ‘n’ stuff ’em in that little black bead bag o’ hers, ‘n’ there was a meanin’ way about her stuffin’ ’t said more ’n was necessary.—­But o’ course some one had to speak, so Mrs. Sweet begun to smile ‘n’ say, ‘’N’ Mrs. Davison gets Augustus!’ ‘n’ at that Mrs. Davison come up out o’ her chair like it was a live coal, ‘n’ shook all over ‘n’ glared right in front of her, ‘n’ said, ’Ladies, this may appear as a joke to you, but it’s far from seemin’ funny to the one as gets Augustus.  I decline Augustus right square ‘n’ sharp ‘n’ flat ‘n’ now, ‘n’ if I ever hear another word on the subjeck I shall cease to ever again play the organ in church on Sunday!’”

Miss Clegg paused dramatically.

Mrs. Lathrop opened her mouth in awe at the climax.

“Well, you c’d ‘a’ heard the dust settle for a minute or two!  No one couldn’t think o’ nothin’ to say, f’r the only thing to say was suthin’ ‘t no one in their senses would think o’ sayin’, but o’ course some one had to say it, ‘n’ Mrs. Craig got up at last ‘n’ with the tears standin’ in her eyes ‘n’ a kind o’ sad look all around her nice tidy house, she sort o’ sighed out, ’We must have the organ Sundays, ‘n’ I’ll take Augustus.’  There was a air o’ bein’ sorry for her all over, but every one was so glad it was her ‘n’ not them ’t they couldn’t help bein’ more relieved ‘n anythin’ else, ‘n’ then we all remembered ’t we was hot, ‘n’ hungry too, so we made short work o’ app’intin’ Mrs. Allen to go ‘n’ tell the minister how everythin’ was arranged for his vacation, ‘n’ ’t it’d be a favor to us all if he could get away pretty prompt to-morrow so ’s we could be all settled down for Sunday.  Mrs. Sperrit says she’ll take the bird right along with Bobby, ‘n’ Mrs. Allen says ’t if they have Brunhilde Susan they can just as well fuss with the cow too, so ’s far as I c’n see there’ll be no church Sunday, ‘n’ I certainly am grateful, for all the time ‘t I was in church last Sunday I was wishin’ ’t I was in the crick instid, ‘n’ I don’t consider such thoughts upliftin’.”

Mrs. Lathrop slapped at a mosquito.

“They say it’s better to be born lucky ’n rich,” said Susan, getting up to go, “‘n’ what you said jus’ now, Mrs. Lathrop, proves ’t it’s true in your case.  For if I had been obliged to take Brunhilde Susan or any other of ’em, it’d surely ‘a’ been a awful care to you just now, what with your picklin’ ‘n’ your not bein’ no great hand at childern anyhow.”

Mrs. Lathrop assented with two slow nods.

“Mrs. Brown ‘n’ me walked home together,” said Susan, as she slowly turned her steps in the direction of her own house.  “Mrs. Brown thinks she’s got the flower o’ the flock in gettin’ Henry Ward Beecher.  She says he’s so big he’ll be no care a tall, except to fill his pitcher once in a while.”

“It’s Mrs. Craig as has—­” said Mrs. Lathrop.