"
Mrs. Lathrop again attempted to get in a word and was again
unsuccessful.
"I don't believe 't there's another free man in the town. I've thought
'n' thought 'n' I can't think o' one." She stopped and sighed.
"There's Jathrop!" said Mrs. Lathrop, with sudden and complete
success. Jathrop was her son, so baptized through a fearful slip of
the tongue at a critical moment. He was meant to have been John.
Miss Clegg gave such a start that she dropped her fan over the fence.
"Well, Heaven forgive me!" she cried,--"'n' me 't never thought of him
once, 'n' him so handy right on the other side of the fence! Did I
ever!"
"He ain't thir--" said Mrs. Lathrop, picking up the fan.
"I don't care. What's twelve years or so when it's the woman 's 'as
got the property? Well, Mrs. Lathrop, I certainly _am_ obliged to you
for mentionin' him, for I don't believe he ever would 'a' occurred to
me in kingdom come. 'N' here I've been worryin' my head off ever since
supper-time 'n' all for suthin' 's close 's Jathrop Lathrop. But I had
good cause to worry, 'n' now 't it's over I don't mind mentionin' the
reason 'n' tellin' you frank 'n' plain 't I'd begun on my things.
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