"I don't want--"

"It's got to be him or me or the butcher, 'n' I must say I don't see
no good 'n' sufficient reason why it should be me. I didn't have
Jathrop, nor yet the cow, 'n' I don't see why I sh'd lay myself open
to bein' snapped off any where, jus' because your son 's half a
fool--the head half."

Mrs. Lathrop groaned.

"Now there ain't no use in _that_" said Susan firmly; "lots o' things
might be worse 'n they are. She might 'a' broken both your legs, or
she may break both his when he tries to milk her to-night. You must
look on the bright side, Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' not twist aroun' like you'd
been in bed four weeks 'n' only had two more ahead o' you. The whole
six is ahead now, 'n' instid o' wrigglin' 'n' sighin', you'd ought to
think how good it is as I'm here to take care o' you. I must say 't,
to my order o' thinkin', your leg is goin' to be pretty nigh 's hard
on me 's on you. 'F I can't trust Jathrop to so much 's carry a tray
after I've been to all the bother o' cookin' it, it stands to reason
's I must be kitin' with 'em all day long. I'm very friendly with you,
Mrs. Lathrop, 'n' whether single or two-legged I'd never but wish you
well; still, I _am_ a rich woman, 'n' bein' a rich woman, it does seem
kind o' hard for me to have to slave back 'n' forth over the fence for
six weeks; but, such bein' the case, it strikes me 't, of us two, you
certainly ain't the one 's 'd ought to be doin' the groanin'."

Mrs. Lathrop appeared contrite and dumb.