She's all run down."
"P'r'aps she'll go and stay with yer mother for a while."
"No," said Betsy, "she won't go there."
"Ain't yer mother 'n' her on good terms?"
"Oh, yes," replied Betsy, "but the four boys send mother five dollars a
month apiece, and us girls give her two dollars a month apiece, and it's
understood that none of us is to go and loaf 'round at home, 'less we
pay our board."
"That's all right," said Mrs. Hawkins. "You can tell Samanthy for me
that she can come here and stay a couple o' weeks with you. Your bed's
big enough for two, and I won't charge her no board if she's willin' to
wait on table at dinner time. You'll get the benefit of it, ye know,
Betsy, for you kin get the dinner dishes done so much earlier."
"That's very kind of you, Mrs. Hawkins," said Betsy, and the
conversation lapsed for a moment till she inquired, "Will your daughter
Mandy stay with Mr. Pettengill arter he marries Huldy Mason?"
"I don't know," replied Mrs. Hawkins. "Mandy says that Hiram Maxwell is
the biggest fool of a man she ever saw."
"Then she must think a good deal of him," laughed Betsy.
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