so there was nothin' f'r me to do but go home 'n' come nigh to dyin'
of I did n't know what. I 've got a book, 'The Handy Family Friend,'
's tells what you 'd ought to take after you 've took anythin', 'n' I
read it 'way through to see 'f there was any rule f'r when you don't
know what you 've took, but there wa'n't no directions, 'n' so I jus'
calmly spent the night hoppin' about like mad, 'n' I 'm free to
confess 't there'll be a coolness in my feelin's towards Mrs. Brown
henceforth. I ain't said nothin' direct to her herself, but I spoke my
full mind to Mrs. Macy, 'n' Mrs. Macy give me to understand 's she
should let Mrs. Brown know my sufferin's, 'n' I mentioned to Mr.
Kimball 's I felt some hurt over bein' pierced to the core with cake
's nobody knowed what had raised it, 'n', although he laughed 'n' said
mebbe Cain raised it, still I feel he 's safe to tell every one in
town. I want 's every one sh'd know it. I consider 't when a woman
goes to see another woman she 's unsuspectin' o' any new species o'
cake-raisin', 'n' 'f there is any new species in the wind my view o'
the matter is 's it 'd ought to be tried on somebody else 'n' not on
me."

Miss Clegg stopped and shook her head hard.

"Where have you--" began Mrs. Lathrop.

"Oh, that reminds me," said the caller with a sudden start. She paused
a second, as if to gather force for the proper delivery of her next
speech; a wondrous glow of unconscious but exalted triumph rose to her
visage. "I went," she announced, her voice high-keyed with confidence
as to what was about to fall upon the totally unprepared placidity of
the unsuspecting Mrs. Lathrop,--"I went to post a letter to Cousin
Marion!"