First,
however, she carefully examined the latch on her kitchen
door. Now this latch had a bad habit of locking itself
if the door was closed quickly. Mrs. McGuire tried it
and found it would do this every time, and with this she
seemed quite satisfied.
About half after three o'clock Mary came and began to
set the little house in order. When this was done Mrs.
McGuire asked her if she would make her a few buttermilk
biscuits, she had been wishing for them all day.
When she saw Mary safely in the kitchen her heart began
to beat. Now if the minister was at home, the thing was
as good as done.
She watched at the window until Jimmy Watson came from
school, and then, tapping on the glass, beckoned him to
come in, which he did with great trepidation of spirit.
She told him to go at once and tell Mr. Grantley to come,
for she needed him very badly.
Then she got back into bed, and tried to compose her
features into some resemblance of invalidism.
When Mr. Grantley came she was resting easier she said
(which was true), but would he just get her a drink of
water from the kitchen, and would he please shut the door
quick after him and not let the cat up.
Mr. Grantley went at once and she heard the door shut
with a snap.
Just to be sure that it was "snibbed," Mrs. McGuire
tiptoed after him in her bare feet, a very bad thing for
a sick-a-bed lady to do, too, but to her credit, be it
written, she did not listen at the keyhole.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211