Susan Clegg and Her Neighbors' Affairs Read online

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  Susan Clegg

  and

  Her Neighbors' Affairs

  By Anne Warner

  _Author of "Susan Clegg and her Friend Mrs. Lathrop," "The Rejuvenationof Aunt Mary," "A Woman's Will," etc._

  BostonLittle, Brown, and Company1906

  Copyright, 1904,By The Red Book Corporation.

  Copyright, 1905,By The Century Company.

  Copyright, 1905,By The Bobbs Merrill Company.

  Copyright, 1906,By Little, Brown, and Company.

  _All rights reserved_Published June, 1906THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.

  "It's a brand-new one, fer the price-tag's still hangin'on the back."]

  _PREFATORY NOTE_

  _"Mrs. Lathrop's Love Affair" appeared in "The Century Magazine" in1905. "The Wolf at Susan's Door" was published in "The Reader'sMagazine" in the early part of the present year, and "Old Man Ely'sProposal" is printed for the first time in this volume. The originalversion of "A Very Superior Man" appeared in "The Red Book."_

  * * * * *

  CONTENTS

  MRS. LATHROP'S LOVE AFFAIR Part First. The Deacon's Dilemma Part Second. The Automobile

  OLD MAN ELY'S PROPOSAL

  THE WOLF AT SUSAN'S DOOR Part First. Miss Clegg's Speculations Part Second. Gran'ma Mullins's Woe Part Third. Lucy Dill's Wedding Part Fourth. Mr. Jilkins's Hat

  A VERY SUPERIOR MAN

  * * * * *

  MRS. LATHROP'S LOVE AFFAIR

  PART FIRST

  THE DEACON'S DILEMMA

  Miss Clegg was getting her own favorite tea. This always consisted ofitself, toast, and a slice of bacon; and she apparently took as muchpleasure in the preparation of the meal as if it were not the tenthousandth of its kind which she had cooked and eaten. As she hustledand bustled here and there, her manner seemed even more sprightly thanusual; and it was only occasionally, when her glance fell upon the lightshining across from her friend's kitchen window opposite, that hercheerfulness knew any diminution. But there seemed to be some sadinfluence in the effect of the rays of Mrs. Lathrop's lamp on thisparticular night; and even if its effect on Susan was merely transitory,it was not the less marked each time that it occurred.

  Once, just as she was carrying the tea-pot from the stove to the table,she voiced her thoughts aloud.

  "I shall have to tell her to-night, so I may 's well make up my mind toit," she said firmly; and then, after drawing up a chair by making ahook out of one of her feet, she sat down and sought strength for theordeal in a more than ordinarily hearty supper.

  It was a bleak, cold night in early November, and the wind whistleddrearily outside. There was a chill atmosphere everywhere, and a hint ofcoming winter.

  "I shall wear my cap an' my cardigan jacket to go over there," theneighborly disposed Susan reflected as she carefully drank the last ofthe tea. "Dear, dear! but it's goin' to be a terrible shock to her, poorthing!"

  Then she arose and carefully and scrupulously put the kitchen back intoits customary order. Having removed the last trace of any one's everhaving cooked or eaten there, she lighted a candle and sought her wrapsin the icy upper regions of the house. As she passed the parlor door sheshivered involuntarily.

  "I expect he was cold," she murmured; "I know I was. But I could n't seemy way to sittin' in the kitchen with a caller: I never was one to donothin' improper, an' I was n't goin' to begin at my age."

  Then she went upstairs and got out the cap and jacket. It was a man'scap, with ear-tabs, and not at all in keeping with the fair Susan'sfeatures; but she gave no heed to such matters and tied it on with twofirm jerks.

  "I jus' do hope," she ejaculated as she struggled into the cardigan, "'tshe won't faint. It'll surely come very sudden on her, too, an' all mytalk 's to the advantage o' stayin' unmarried, an' the times an' times I've said as we was always goin' to stay jus' so--"

  The termination of the jacket-buttoning terminated the soliloquy also.Miss Clegg went downstairs and warmed her hands at the kitchen stove,preparatory to locking up. Ten minutes later she was tapping at Mrs.Lathrop's door.

  "I must n't tell her too quick," she reminded herself as she waited tobe let in; "I must lead up to it like they do after a railroad smash.Mrs. Lathrop ain't what you call over-nervous; still, she has gotfeelin's, an' in a time like this they ought to be a little steered outfor. If she saw him comin' in or goin' out, that 'll help some."

  Mrs. Lathrop not answering to the tap, the caller knocked again, andthen tried to open the door from without, but found it to be boltedinside.

  "I s'pose she's asleep, with her feet in the oven," Susan said in aspirit of rebellion and disapproval mixed, and then she battered madlyfor entrance.

  Mrs. Lathrop was asleep, and did have her feet in the oven. She wasparticularly fond of finishing up her daily desultoriness in thatmanner. It took time slightly to disturb her slumber, more time yet toawaken her fully, and still again more time to get her to the door andopen it.

  "Well, _Susan_!" she said in a tone of cordial surprise when she saw whoit was; "the idea of--"

  "He wanted as I should see you to-night, rain or shine," said thefriend, advancing into the middle of the kitchen.

  "Who wanted?"

  "The deacon. Did n't you see him this afternoon?"

  Mrs. Lathrop furtively rubbed her eyes.

  "Oh, yes, yes--I--" she began.

  "Well, he wanted as I should come right over an' tell you to-night. An'I told him 't I would."

  "Tell me wh--"

  "I shall break it to you as easy as I can, Mrs. Lathrop; but there 's nodenyin' as it 'll come very sharp on you at the end."

  Mrs. Lathrop ceased to rub her eyes, and a vague apprehension openedthem effectually instead.

  "I presume, if you saw him at all, you saw how long he stayed?"

  "Yes, I--"

  "All of two hours, an' his talk was as dumfounderin' on me as it will beon you. I 'd never thought o' any such doin's in this direction. Ialways looked on as a complete outsider, did n't you?"

  "I don't un--"

  Susan had shed her jacket and cap while talking; she now took a chairand surveyed her friend with the air of one who has pain to inflict andyet is firm.

  Mrs. Lathrop looked frankly troubled.

  "Well, Mrs. Lathrop, you 'd ought to know me well enough, after allthese years, to know as I shall make this as easy as I can for you.Perhaps the best way 'll be to go 'way back to the beginnin' an' speako' when Mrs. White died. It'll be a proper leadin' up, for if she hadn't died, he 'd never 'a' come to see me this afternoon, an' I 'd never'a' come to see you to-night. Howsumsever, she did die; an', bein' dead,I will say for her husband as you don't find chick or child in town todeny as a nicer, tidier, more biddable little man never lived; 'n' 'sfar as my personal feelin's go, I should think 't any woman mightconsider it nothin' but a joy to get a man 's is always so long on thedoor-mat 'n' so busy with his tie 's the deacon is. He got some wore outtoward the last o' her illness, for she was give' up in September 'n'died in July; but even then I 've heard Mrs. Allen say 's it was jus'pretty to see him putterin' aroun' busy 's a bee, tryin' to keep dustedup for the funeral any minute." Susan paused to sigh.

  "Seems like she did n't die but yesterday," she said reminiscently;"don't seem like it can possibly be over a year. I never can butremember them last days: they stand out afore me like a needle in acamel's
eye. Nobody could n't say 's everythin' was n't done; they hadtwo doctors 'n' a bill 't the drug-store, but the end come at last. Shebegin to sink 'n' sink, 'n' young Dr. Brown said that way o' sinkin'away was always, to his mind, one o' the most unfortunate features o'dyin'. He said he knowed lots o' people 's 'd be alive 'n' well now ifthey could just o' been kept from that sinkin' away. Old Dr. Carter toldMrs. Jilkins his theory was 't while the pulse beats there 's life; buteven he had to admit 's Mrs. White was about beat out. 'N' it was so,too; for she died while they was talkin', 'n' the deacon just beginnin'on cleanin' the pantry shelves. He had to put all the dishes back on topo' the old papers; 'n' any one could see how hard it was for him, for he'd counted on havin' everythin' spick 'n' span at the end.

  "Well, that was a busy time! It 's too bad you have to miss so much,Mrs. Lathrop; now, that day at Mrs. White's would 'a' done you a worldo' good. There was a great deal o' company, 'n' the newspaper man ledoff, comin' to know what she died of. He explained he had to know rightaway, 'cause if she did n't die o' nothin' in particular, they neededthe extra line for stars to show up a cod-liver oil advertisement. Isaid the deacon was the one to ask, 'n' we hunted high 'n' low for himuntil Mrs. Jilkins remembered 's he'd took them keys Mrs. White alwayshad under her pillow 'n' gone up attic to see what trunks they fitted.Mrs. Macy had to holler him down; 'n', my! but he was snappy. He said,'Ask Dr. Brown,' 'n' then he clumb straight back up his ladder; 'n' Dr.Brown said 's she died o' the complete seclusion of her aspirational 'n'bronchoid tubes. I could see 't the newspaper man did n't know how tospell it, 'n' he told young Dr. Brown any such doin's 'd squeeze thecod-liver oil over into next week, which could n't be considered for aminute. 'N' then he went on to say 't if folks want to die o' more 'none line, they 've got to do it Tuesday night, or at the very latestWednesday afore ten o'clock, if it's to be got in right.

  "Well, next come the funeral; 'n' I will say right here 'n' now 't theway 's the widows closed in around Deacon White was enough to send anyman up a ladder. There was Mrs. Macy 's was actually ready 'n' waitin'to lay Mrs. White out afore she was dead. 'N' Mrs. Macy is n't one 'sany one 'd rashly set about makin' love to, I should n't suppose. I 'vealways understood 's there 's a while 't they sit on laps; 'n' the lapain't built 's could take pleasure in holdin' Mrs. Macy. But she was onhand, all the same, 'n' 's beamin' 's if she stood a show.

  "'N' then there was Gran'ma Mullins! I was perfectly dumb did up at thedoin's o' Gran'ma Mullins. I 'd always looked on her 's a very deservin'mother to Hiram, 'n' one 's any one c'd trust 's to doughnuts forsociables; but when she come to Mrs. White's funeral with her hairfrizzed, I give up. Gran'ma Mullins--at her age--at the funeral of awidower's dead wife--'n' her hair frizzed! Well, Mrs. Lathrop, if I wason my way to my own hangin' I sh'd still say 't to my order o' thinkin'it wasn't proper mournin'.

  "Not 's there was n't others up to the same doin's. The first night Mrs.Allen sent Polly over with one dish o' ice-cream 'n' one slice o' cakefor the deacon's supper,--'n' me there 's plain 's day sittin' upalternate with Mr. Jilkins. 'N' Mrs. Allen did n't make no bones aboutit, neither; she said frank 'n' open 't her disapp'intment over SamDuruy 'd aged Polly right up to where only a elderly man 'd be anywisefit f'r her, 'n' she said she was teachin' her 'Silver threads among thegold' 'n' how to read aloud 't the tip-top o' your voice. I did n'tdiscourage her none. I told her 't there was n't many like the deacon,'n' that come true right off; fer we heard a awful crash, 'n' it wasthen 't he fell through the ceilin' into Phoebe's room 'n' a pretty jobwe had sweepin' up his dust.

  "The minister come in while we was sweepin'. He certainly does come tocall always at very uncomfortable times; but I suppose everybody 's gotto have a cross, 'n' ours 's him. Anyway, he wanted to know about if it'd be agreeable to the family to have Mrs. White discoursed on 's afaithful handmaid, 'cause he did n't want to have to alter her after he'd got her all copied. He said there was the choice o' a bondwoman o'the Lord 'n' a light in Israel, too. We had to go 'n' holler the deacona long time, 'n' finally we found him out settin' a hen. I did n't think's he 'd ought to 'a' set a hen the day o' his wife's funeral--I did n'tthink much o' settin' hens any time; it's set 'n' set, 'n' then half thetime all you get is a weasel.

  "Well, he come in at last, 'n' he would n't hear o' havin' his wifecalled a handmaid, 'cause, he said, it was him 's had always done allthe work. The minister said it was astonishin' what 'Liza Em'ly couldget through in a mornin', 'n' then he coughed; 'n' Mrs. Macy said 't'Liza Em'ly was very helpful for a child o' her age, 'n' then shecoughed; 'n' then the deacon went back to his hen, 'n' the ministersighed 'n' went, too."

  Mrs. Lathrop herself sighed as Susan paused.

  "I remember--" she said slowly.

  "It was a nice funeral, though," her friend continued; "I never see anicer one, even if Mrs. White was n't able to look after nothin'herself. Mr. Kimball got down to business like it 'd always been hisbusiness, 'n' the way he hustled things through was a lesson to them 'stakes a whole afternoon to one member of a family. He took all thetable-leaves 'n' laid 'em from chair to chair, so 's everybody had aseat; 'n' then, 's folks come in, he had Billy hand 'em each a fan withhis advertisement on one side 'n' two rows o' readin' on the other, so's no one got dull waitin'.

  "'N' then I never shall forget what a neat job he done with the dove.You know 's well 's I do 't it 's hard on the dove, 'n' always has beenhard on the dove, to go to every funeral 'n' be the window advertisementbetween deaths. I 've told you before how it was freely remarked in thesquare, after Mrs. Dill's burial, as the way the dove looked there wassuthin' borderin' on scandalous. He 'd hovered with a motto till hiswings was 's dirty inside 's outside, 'n' they 'd tipped his head backto look up resurrected or front to look down dejected till at Mrs.Dill's all he was fit for was to sit on the foot of her 'n' mourn, withthe hat-pins 's held him steady stickin' out in all directions. Somefolks as was really very sorry about Mrs. Dill 'most died when they seethe dove, 'n' Mr. Kimball (he had n't bought the business then) remarkedopenly 's his view was as he 'd better go to two or three baptisms aforehe tried another funeral. Such bein' the case, it was no more 'n natural's we sh'd all feel a little worried thinkin' o' Mrs. White's bein' nextto stand the dove; 'n' Mrs. Sperrit said frank an' open 't to her ordero' thinkin' the deacon 'd ought to jus' forbid it. We all saw the sensein her view; but even if we did, you know 's well 's I do it 'd be apretty delicate matter in this c'mmunity to be the first to deliberatelyskip the dove."

  "I think he's pret--" said Mrs. Lathrop, musingly.

  "I won't say 't I don't think so, too," said Susan; "but I never was oneto turn a blind eye to the dirt on the outside o' nothin',--'s you knowto your cost, Mrs. Lathrop,--'n' such bein' the case, I certainly didfeel to regret 's the dove 'd had such long wear 'n' tear afore it comeMrs. White's turn to be sat on. I was fond o' Mrs. White; we had n'tspoke in years, owin' to her bein' too deaf to hear, but what I see ofher from the street was always pleasant, 'n' I did n't like to think 'smaybe anythin' 'd be left out o' the last of her. So we let it all go,'n' we certainly had our reward for so doin' when we see the result; forMr. Kimball did a fine job then 'n' there, 'n' when he was dry-cleanedinside 'n' out, 'n' his beak 'n' feet painted, 'n' new beads foreyes--well, all I can say is 't I wish you 'd been there to see him,that 's all. He took his wings completely off, so 's to give him the airo' bein' folded up; 'n' then he stuck a gilt arrow in his heart 'n' laidhim cornerways on the deacon's cross o' tiger-lilies. 'N' he did n'tstop 't that, neither; he took his wings 'n' sewed 'em to each side of ared heart left over from a euchre-party, 'n' laid the whole on Mr.Jilkins's piller o' pansies, so the deacon could n't in conscience feel't anythin' 's he 'd paid for was wasted. I 've said all along, 'n' I'llsay ag'in here 'n' now, 't it was all one o' the prettiest things I eversee; 'n' I was n't the only one 's felt that way, for I 've heard lotso' folks say since 's they 'll want the dove just so for themselves."

  Mrs. Lathrop turned a little uneasily; Susan did not appear to noticethe i
ndication of a possible impatience.

  "It was all a great success," she went on calmly. "The minister'sdiscourse was very fine; only when he prayed for consolation we allknowed he meant 'Liza Em'ly. All but the deacon, that is. I guess thedeacon was thinkin' more o' Gran'ma Mullins 'n any one else 't first;Mrs. Jilkins told me he asked how old she was, comin' back in thecarriage."

  "I allers thought--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

  "So did a good many people. I don't know 's that was surprisin', either;for it's a well-known fact 's they was fond o' each other forty or fiftyyears back. She 's got a daguerre'type o' him 's is so old 't you can'tbe very sure whether it 's him, after all. She says she ain't positiveherself, 'cause she had one o' her cousin 's shot himself by accident onhis way to the war, 'n' the wreath o' flowers stamped on the red velvetinside was just the same in both cases. You have to go by the light 'n'tip him a good while to say for sure whether he's got a collar on ornot, 'n' you could n't swear to his havin' on anythin' else if you wasto turn him round 'n' round till doomsday. She had that picture in a boxwith her first hair 'n' Hiram's first tooth 'n' a nut 't she said thedeacon did a hole in with his knife when they was children together oneday. She showed 'em all to me one time when I was there; I did n't thinkmuch o' the nut, I must say. But I will say as it seemed to make herhappy, so I jus' remarked 't it was surprisin' how foolish we got 's wegot old, 'n' let it go 't that. It was a while after 's he took her toMeadville to the circus; it 's a well-known fact 's she was fool enoughto look upon bein' took to a circus 's next thing to bein' asked out 'n'out. She come up to tell me all about it afterward."

  "'N' yet--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

  "It just shows the vanity o' feelin' sure o' mortal man," continuedSusan. "She was sure, 'n' Mrs. Allen was sure, 'n' the minister hadfaith; 'n' then there was Mrs. Macy, too. There was a while when itlooked to me 's if swoopin' down 'n' then pinnin' flat c'd catchanythin,' 't Mrs. Macy 'd have the deacon, she was so everlastingly onhand. Why, I never walked by his house but I met her, 'n' that was fartoo often to ever by any chance be called a' accident. But she was tooopen; my own experience is 't bein' frank 'n' free is time throwed awayon men. If anythin' serious is to be done with a man, it's got to bedone from behind a woodpile. I had some little dealin's with men in themarryin' line once, 'n' I found 'em very shy; tamin' gophers is sleepin'in the sun beside grabbin' a man 's dead against bein' grabbed. I don'tsay 's it can't be done, but I will say 't it 's hard in the first 'n'harder in the last, when you 've got him 'n' he's got you, like theminister 's got his wife."

  "But Mrs. Macy ain't--" protested Mrs. Lathrop.

  "No; 'n' it's her own fault, too. He told me this afternoon 's the wayshe smiled on him right in the first days made the marrow run up 'n'down his back. He said he c'd 'a' stood lots o' things, but no humanbein' but gets mad bein' forever smiled at. Then she knit him things. Hesays she knit him a pair o' snap-on slippers 's Heaven 'll surelyforgive him if he ever see the like of. He said they stuck out 's farbehind 's in front, 'n' all in the world 't he c'd do was to sitperfectly still in the middle of 'em 'n' content himself with viewin''em 's slippers. But he says the worst was, she cooked him things; hesays he won't say what he 's paid young Dr. Brown for advice regardin'things 's she 's cooked him, not to speak o' that time he cut himself sobad pryin' at one o' her undercrusts. 'N,' just between you 'n' me, Mrs.Lathrop, he says it 's a secret 's he will carry to his grave unsealedas she give him a crock o' gherkins on his birthday, with a pair o'buttonhole scissors at the bottom.

  "He said he jus' felt he 'd enjoy to have the revenge o' stayin' single.But he said it did n't take him long to see 's stayin' single is aprivilege 's no woman 's goin' to allow to a man whose wife 's dead. Hesays the way he 's been chased 's all but killin'. He says there 's Mrs.Allen firin' Polly at him when he goes over there for his dinner, 'n'the minister tellin' him every Sunday 'n' prayer-meetin' how 'Liza Em'lyis shootin' up. He says Gran'ma Mullins is forever referrin' to hisyouth, 'n' Mrs. Macy is forever smilin'. He says he could easy keep hishouse alone,--he says he understands a house from moth-balls toquicklime,--but they won't let him. He says he 's not only townproperty, but he 's town talk 's well. He says Mrs. Craig stopped him inthe square 'n' asked him point-blank if he'd remembered to put on hisflannels day before yesterday.

  "I tell you, Mrs. Lathrop, it's plain 't that man has suffered. If you'd 'a' seen him, your heart would 'a' softened like mine did. 'N' himsuch a neat little bald-headed man without any wishin' o' anybodyanythin'! I give him a lot o' sympathy. I told him 't I'd knowed what itwas to have a lot o' folks seem bound to marry you in the teeth o' yourown will. I told him the whole community was witness to how I was setupon after father's death 'n' well-nigh drove mad. He said he wished hehad my grit 'n' maybe he'd make a try to fight like I did, but he saidhe was beat out. He said if he is n't up 'n' the smoke pourin' out o'his chimney at six sharp, all the single women in town is lined up infront to know what's happened. He says if he was married, it goeswithout sayin' 's they'd both be allowed to sleep in peace. He says ifhe lights a candle at night, he hears of it next day. He said if he getsa letter in a strange hand, it's all over town 's some strange woman 'smade his acquaintance. He says the whole world feels free to dust hishat or w'isk his coat if he stops to chat a minute. He says, such bein'the case, he 's made up his mind 't he's got to get married. He says he's considered very carefully. He says he knows jus' the kind o' woman.He says he 's been fretted, 'n' he don't never want to be fretted nomore."

  Miss Clegg paused, as if the crisis had arrived. She surveyed her friendwith a meaning eye, and Mrs. Lathrop rather shrunk together andendeavored to look courageous.

  "Up to now 's been all preparin' your mind. Do you feel prepared? Areyou ready?"

  "Yes, I--" gasped the victim.

  "Left to myself, I sh'd 'a' waited till mornin', but he wanted you toknow to-night. He know's I'm your dearest friend. He said if I didn'ttell you right off, it might get to you some other way 'n' be a' awfulblow. He said he had to go to Meadville to-morrow, so he might mentionit down-town to-night, 'n' 'most any one might let it drop in on you. Isee the p'int o' his reasonin', 'n' so--"

  "Susan," said the friend, her feelings completely overflowing allbounds--"oh, Susan, are you really a-goin' to marry--"

  Susan's expression altered triumphantly.

  "Why, Mrs. Lathrop," she said, with keen enjoyment, "it ain't me 's hewants to marry; it 's you!"