an' he said he didn't know; he hadn't read it."

"Deary me, Susan! Well, what if he hadn't? I shouldn't fret about
that. My gracious, Susan, if you had four children same as I have,
instead of one, I guess you wouldn't do no worryin' jest because a boy
didn't read a book. Though, as for my John, he---"

Susan lifted her chin.

"I wasn't talkin' about your children, Mis' McGuire," she interrupted.
"An' I reckon nobody'd do no worryin' if they didn't read. But Master
Keith is a different supposition entirely. He's very intelligible,
Master Keith is, and so is his father before him. Books is food to
them--real food. Hain't you ever heard of folks devourin' books? Well,
they do it. Of course I don't mean literaryly, but metaphysically."

"Oh, land o' love, Susan Betts!" cried Mrs. McGuire, throwing up both
hands and turning away scornfully. "Of course, when you get to talkin'
like that, NOBODY can say anything to you! However in the world that
poor Mr. Burton puts up with you, I don't see. _I_ wouldn't--not a
day--not a single day!" And by way of emphasis she entered her house
and shut the door with a slam.

Susan Betts, left alone, shrugged her shoulders disdainfully.

"Well, 'nobody asked you, sir, she said,'" she quoted, under her
breath, and slammed her door, also, by way of emphasis.

Yet both Susan and Mrs. McGuire knew very well that the next day would
find them again in the usual friendly intercourse over the back-yard