Sobbing inwardly, I accepted this divine retaliation in silence, and
rested a while in that loving, warm embrace.
CHAPTER XVIII.
LUTE CRADLEBOW GIVES THE TEACHER A NEW CHAIR.
One morning, early in my convalescence, I was startled by a mighty
rumbling and scraping sound on the narrow stairway, as of some unwieldy
object pushed steadily upward. The summit reached, I heard the retreat of
manly feet, and this leviathan presented itself with Grandma Keeler as an
animating force, breathless and smiling, in the rear.
"He didn't have time to paint it, teacher," she began joyfully; "but
it'll be jest as comf'table to set in. He's been explainin' of it to
me--Lute has--ye see, it's a cheer. He made it for ye, himself. And all
you've got to do is to turn this 'ere crank, here--" Grandma's
countenance was radiant with wonder and approval--"and up it'll go--so--as
high as ye want it! and this 'ere can be shoved in and out for ye to put
yer feet on, and this 'ere back can be let anyways ye want it. He seen a
picture o' one in a paper, once, and he went and made this by his own
eye, and all the hinges and cranks, and everythin' as slick as a pin! He
didn't say anythin'," Grandma continued, in a slightly lowered,
insinuating tone of voice; "about likin' to come up and see ye, when ye
was able to set up, and you know, teacher, as I don't believe in meddlin'
in young folks' affairs; but it appeared to me, havin' had so much
experience with the men folks as I have, that may be he was kind o'
hangin' around waitin' for an invitation--for ye see, they're goin' to
sail now in a vary few days.
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