They always save me some of whatever they make, which I get the next
day. But if I could rise out of bed and eat as much as I want out of
that chafing-dish, there would be a funeral Miss Bray would like to
attend. The corpse would be Mary Cary, died Martha.

There is a screen at the foot of my bed, put there so the light won't
bother me and so I won't be seen. And, thinking I am asleep, Miss
Katherine and Miss Webb talk on as if I were dead; and it's very
interesting the things they talk about.

Of course, Miss Webb came over last night, and, after talking about two
hours, she said: "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Lizzie Lane is going to
marry Bob Rogers, and right away. I don't suppose you've heard."

"Yes, I have; Lizzie wrote me." And Miss Katherine took the hair-pins
out of her hair and let it fall down her back. "What made her change her
mind? What is she marrying him for?"

"How do I know?" And Miss Webb tasted the chocolate to see if it was
sweet enough.

"How does anybody know what a man is married for? In most cases you
can't risk a guess. Lizzie is a woman, therefore 'hath reason or
unreason for her act.'"

"How did it happen? What made her change her mind?" and Miss Katherine
threw her hair-pins on the bureau and stooped down to get her slippers.
"How does Lizzie explain it?"

"She says she was so sleepy she doesn't remember whether she said yes or