Susan looked surprised for the third time.
"Why, of course," she said, "who else could it be?" Then she left her
position near the door, came over nearer to her friend, took a chair and
began to untie her bonnet.
"I don't know as I 'm surprised over your bein' surprised, Mrs.
Lathrop," she continued in a slightly milder tone after a brief pause
for vocal renovation. "I will confess as I was really nothin' but
surprised myself. I supposed as a matter o' course that to-day he was in
Meadville buryin' her, 'n' when I first see him the funeral was so
strong in my mind as I thought he'd druv over to maybe borrow father's
black bow for his front door. I made my mind right up to tell him
straight to his face as he couldn't have it, for I told you once as I
was keepin' that bow for you, Mrs. Lathrop, an' when I promise anybody
anythin' I keep my word, whether it's a receipt or a bow for their own
funeral, an' when I saw old man Ely it didn't take me no two minutes to
keep my word the same as ever,--'n' father's black bow too. But laws, he
was n't after no bow!--I very quickly found out as all as he was after
was the funeral, f'r it seems as they was uncommonly spry with it. He
told me right off as they had it pretty prompt too, for he says when it
comes to buryin' a wife there 's no need for a man to go slow, 'n' so he
had all Meadville up with the lark 'n' out after old Mrs. Ely. He seemed
to feel all of a sudden as it was a little awkward me not havin' been
there, but I saw how he felt 'n' made his mind easy by tellin' him frank
'n' open that it was n't nothin' agin his wife as kept me here, for when
it come right square down to it I did n't know any one as I 'd enjoy
their funeral more 'n gettin' my curtains ironed; an' I may in truth
repeat to you as that 's so, Mrs.
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