"How be ye, dearie? Yer hain't wanted fer nothin', now, have ye?" she
asked.
"Not a thing, Harriet," he returned cheerily. "I'm feelin' real pert,
too. Was there lots there? An' did Parson Drew say a heap o' fine
things?"
Mrs. Clayton dropped into a chair and pulled listlessly at the black
strings of her bonnet.
"'T was a beautiful fun'ral, Thaddeus--a beautiful fun'ral. I--I 'most
wished it was mine."
"Harriet!"
She gave a shamed-faced laugh.
"Well, I did--then Jehiel and Hannah Jane would 'a' come, an' I could
'a' seen 'em."
The horrified look on the old man's face gave way to a broad smile.
"Oh, Harriet--Harriet!" he chuckled, "how could ye seen 'em if you was
dead?"
"Huh? Well, I--Thaddeus,"--her voice rose sharply in the silent room,--
"every single one of them Perkins boys was there, and Annabel, too. Only
think what poor Mis' Perkins would 'a' given ter seen 'em 'fore she
went! But they waited--
waited, Thaddeus, jest as everybody does,
till their folks is dead."
"But, Harriet," demurred the old man, "surely you'd 'a' had them boys
come ter their own mother's fun'ral!"
"Come! I'd 'a' had 'em come before, while Ella Perkins could 'a' feasted
her eyes on 'em. Thaddeus,"--Mrs.
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