"What—" asked Mrs. Lathrop.
"Well, I don't know," said Susan; "Lucy come in while we was sittin' there an' she said her view'd be for me just to take a firm hold of the sheet an' walk straight out of the room without a so much as 'by your leave' to Elijah, but I'd be afraid of tearin' the sheet if I did that way. An' then Gran'ma Mullins came an' her view was as I'd best sit an' sop Elijah with a sponge, which just shows why Hiram is so tore in two between such a mother an' such a wife's views."
"What—" asked Mrs. Lathrop again.
"Well, Elijah was writin' a editorial when I left an' 'Liza Em'ly was lookin' at him an' sighin' to talk an' I come over to tell you all about it."
Just here a piercing scream was heard from across the way.
"My—" ejaculated Mrs. Lathrop.
Susan sprang to her feet and ran to the door; as she opened it Eliza Emily was seen flying down the Clegg steps.
"What is it?" screamed Miss Clegg from Mrs. Lathrop's steps.
"Elijah dropped his pen," screamed Eliza Emily in reply, "an' when he reached for it he fell out o' bed an' tore loose."
"Did he tear the sheet any?"