"She said we'd lived on mush and milk long enough," said Romeo,
pensively.
"We might fry the mush," Juliet suggested.
"And have butter and maple syrup on it?"
"Maybe."
"And drink the milk, and have bread, too?"
"I guess so."
"And jam?"
"Not while we're in mourning," said Juliet, firmly. "We can have syrup
on our bread."
"That's just as good."
"If you think so, you ought not to have it."
"We've got to feed ourselves, or we'll die," he objected vigorously,
"and if we're dead, we won't be any good to him or to anybody else, and
we can't ever repent any more."
"I'm not so sure about that." said Juliet, with sinister emphasis.
"Nothing will happen to us that we don't deserve," Romeo assured her,
"so come on and let's have jam. If it makes us sick, it's wrong, and if
it doesn't, it's all right."
The following day, they voluntarily returned to their mush and milk, for
they had eaten too much jam, and, having been very ill in the night,
considered it sufficient evidence that their penance was not yet over.
XVIII
"LESS THAN THE DUST"
The heat of August shimmered over the land, and still, to every inquiry
at the door or telephone, the quiet young woman in blue and white said:
"No change.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266