"Seems as Rufus thought mebbe there was a dead rat in the cistern, so he had the cistern cleaned out, 'n' the drouth came on, 'n' Monday come on top o' the drouth, 'n' Hannah pumped her arms most off afore she realized as there wa'n't no water a tall, 'n' then she was that mad as she walked right in on Rufus 'n' give it to him.
"Gran'ma Mullins said Hannah said it made her mad only to look at him; he was sittin' in the little shady parlor, jus' softly rockin' back 'n' forth, readin' a book as told why the Dead Sea 's dead. Well, Hannah said no words could tell how much madder she got when she got right in front o' him—to see a able-bodied man rockin' 'n' readin' Dead Seas on top of a empty cistern. Hannah was never one to keep her own counsel in the face of her own feelin's, you know, 'n' she jus' went right up in front of Rufus 'n' said as calm as she could, 'Mr. Timmans, where's the water for the wash to come from?' Gran'ma Mullins said Hannah always said as she tried to stay calm but she give out young, 'n' the sight o' Rufus liftin' his superior eyes jus' did for her. She put her two hands on her two hips, an' let out right then 'n' there, 'Mr. Timmans,' she says, 'you was so sure 't there was a rat drowned in the cistern,' she says, 'that nothin' mus' do but you mus' clean it out,' she says; ''n' there wa'n't no rat,' she says, ''n' it ain't rained since,' she says, ''n' how're we to wash?' she says,—'n' then she waited to see what he would say, 'n' she said a lamb would o' begun to hop about 'n' yowl with mad to see how kind of calm 'n' dazed like 'n' altogether peaceful 'n' happy he looked up at her. 'N' he says, quite placid 'n' contented, 'Can't you get some water out o' the pond?' he says. 'Out o' the pond!' says Hannah, high-keyed like,—Gran'ma Mullins says Hannah always went high-keyed easy,—'out o' that muddy, swampy, slimy, marshy, cow-churned pond,' says Hannah, 'out o' that nasty, dirty, filthy, green pond,' says Hannah, gettin' high-keyeder 'n' high-keyeder. 'I can get it clean for you,' says Rufus, a-openin' the Dead Sea 'n' runnin' his eyes aroun' for his place,—'jus' say when you want it,' he says. Well, Gran'ma Mullins said Hannah always said as she never knowed what kept her off him at that minute, for she was that mad she felt like the righteous judgment o' the Lord was in the ends of her very finger-nails. 'Now,' she says, 'right now,' she says; 'that's when I want it,' she says. Rufus looked up 'n' see she was in earnest, 'n' she says the way he sighed like he was a martyr as led the band was enough to have ended her patience once 'n' for all time if it had n't been for the wash, 'n' then he carefully turned a leaf down in the Dead Sea 'n' got out o' the rocker 'n' went 'n' got Nathan Lumb 'n' they went off together.
"Well, Gran'ma Mullins said Hannah begun to wait, 'n' Hannah waited until if Hannah had waited any longer she 'd have gone off like a rocket, she was that mad again. Gran'ma Mullins said Hannah always got so red she got purple if she only was rememberin' it after. 'N' in the end she could n't stand it no longer 'n' she set off for the pond herself. She always said as she just hoped 'n' prayed as they was both on 'em drowned all the way there, but the Lord in his mercy was n't seein' fit to deal out no such luck, 'n' she found the pond there an' Rufus 'n' Nathan gone.
"'N' what do you suppose she see, Mrs. Lathrop; what do you suppose she see? You never heard the like, 'n' the whole wagon of us could n't but feel as it was maybe just as well as we was on our way to Rufus's funeral, for we never could have faced him in real life after hearin' such a tale.
"Seems there was the pond 'n' there was the edge o' the pond, 'n' there was two barrels as Rufus 'n' Nathan had set close to the edge. One o' the barrels was empty 'n' one was full o' dirty swamp-water, 'n' Rufus's superior mind had hung a old piece o' carpet from one barrel over into the other so it could suck up dirty water 'n' drip off clean, 'n' mebbe if the sun did n't shine too hard Hannah 'd have a pail o' clean water come Hallowe'en. 'N' the wash waitin'!
"Mr. Jilkins said as that was jus' what might o' been expected o' Rufus. He'd like to observe the theery 'n' he would n't care about the wash. Gran'ma Mullins said it did the business for Hannah, though. She never could make up her mind to take Dr. Lumb before on a'count o' his swearin' so, but she made up her mind as anythin' as 'd rid her o' Rufus 'n' give her a chance to boss Nathan 'd fill her bill after that, 'n' she went up that very night 'n' told Dr. Lumb, as if he still wanted her, she was prepared to be took. He wanted her 'n' he took her, 'n' she was to the funeral to-day with Nathan 'n' his two boys, all of 'em brushed so slick you could see with half a eye as Hannah had got a deal o' satisfaction out o' them all these years since.
"She come over to sit beside Gran'ma Mullins 'n' talked a little while. She said Bessy Timmans was bearin' Rufus's loss mos' bravely, 'n' her daughter Betty was come home 'n' brought the baby to comfort her. Hannah said as Betty was a very sweet young woman. She said she never forgot the day when she was only four years old, 'n' asked right out why the family had to be so proud o' Rufus. Hannah said her mother shut her up quick, but it was plain to be seen as that child had eyes for them as could hear, 'n' was pretty quick at sizin' up Rufus.
"It was a awful big funeral. Folks was there from all over. I drove out to the graveyard with old Dr. Lumb 'n' Dr. Cogswell from the city. The other one was Susy Carter, 'n' she's so deaf all I could do was to listen to the front seat. Dr. Cogswell said as it was a great pity that a superior man like Rufus Timmans should have had to live his life out on highways 'n' edges by circumstances probably beyond his control. Dr. Lumb said yes, a small community like Meadville could n't never offer nothin' like a addykit scope to a brain like Rufus's. He said he was surprised as Rufus's brain had managed to scratch along as well as it had under the circumstances. He said, with the exception of himself Rufus had never had no one to really talk to. He said, to be frank, he would in confidence remark to Dr. Cogswell as Bessy Timmans was a very inferior person an' no ways up to Rufus. He said as he should n't be personally surprised to know as her feelin's towards Rufus partook more of a element of impatience than of admiration. He said as one night when he was there he was most dumbfounded to see how little attention she paid with Rufus discoursin' on trilobites 'n their relations to the cursory strata. Dr. Cogswell sighed 'n' said he was afraid he'd have to admit as he feared that was mebbe only too likely to be true. He said he felt a sadness because every trilobite as was related by Rufus was of profound value to any scientific student. He said Rufus was one at whose feet them as is learned could easy sit and learn some more. He said Rufus ought to o' gotten out in the world thirty years ago,—but then he sighed again, 'n' said probably circumstances as no one knowed nothing of probably chained him here. It was easy to see as Dr. Lumb had a awful high opinion o' Rufus, but that 'd be only natural, him bein' married to Hannah as was so dead set agin' him, 'n' he shook his head then 'n' said as he believed as Dr. Cogswell had guessed pretty nigh to the truth. He said he knowed as Bessy was born in Meadville, 'n' as her property was there 'n' he said his own opinion was that with the shortsightedness common to her sex she had chained the eagle so as she might stay among her little circle o' petty friendships, 'n' so the noble bird had worn his soul away in captivity, so to speak.
"Dr. Cogswell said 'Ah!' 'n' then they both shook their heads together 'n' sighed together.
"Hannah did n't go out to the grave. She stayed with Bessy. She took me into the pantry afore we left 'n' said as the spirit o' relief hoverin' in the house was beyond all belief. She said Betty was goin' to take her mother home with her when she went. She said Betty said as she could come back to Meadville whenever she liked, but she said as Bessy said she'd never want to come back. Hannah says Bessy told her as all she asked was to live out her days some place where she 'd never have to hear again what a very superior man Rufus was.