"You see," said Jim, "as long as I've got ter go ter town ter-morrer,
anyhow, it seems a pity not ter do it all up at once. I could order the
coffin an' the undertaker--it's only a question of a few hours, anyway,
an' it seems such a pity ter make another trip--jest fer that!"
In the bedroom the old woman stirred suddenly. Somewhere, away back
behind the consciousness of things, something snapped, and sent the
blood tingling from toes to fingertips. A fierce anger sprang instantly
into life and brushed the cobwebs of lethargy and indifference from her
brain. She turned and opened her eyes, fixing them upon the oblong patch
of light that marked the doorway leading to the room beyond where sat
Ella and Jim.
"Jest fer that," Jim had said, and "that" was her death. It was not
worth, it seemed, even an extra trip to town! And she had done so much--
so much for those two out there!
"Let's see; ter-day's Monday," Jim went on. "We might fix the fun'ral
for Saturday, I guess, an' I'll tell the folks at the store ter spread
it. Puttin' it on Sat'day'll give us a leetle extry time if she
shouldn't happen ter go soon's we expect--though there ain't much fear
o' that now, I guess, she's so low. An' it'll save me 'most half a day
ter do it all up this trip.
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