"What beats all?" asked Betsy Green, who worked for Mrs. Hawkins.
"It beats all," repeated Mrs. Hawkins, "how these city folks can sit up till twelve o'clock at night, and then go without their breakfast till noontime. I've fixed up somethin' pretty nice for him, and I don't propose to see it wasted."
"What are you goin' to do with it?" asked Betsy. "'Twon't keep till to-morrer mornin'."
"I'm goin' to eat it myself," said Mrs. Hawkins. And suiting the action to the word, she transferred the appetizing breakfast to the kitchen table, and, taking a seat, began to devour it.
"Have you seen your sister, Samanthy, lately?" she asked.
"I was up there Sunday evening," replied Betsy, "and she said Mis' Putnam was failin' very fast. She keeps her bed all the time now, and Samanthy has to run up and down stairs, 'bout forty times a day. She won't let Miss Lindy do a thing for her."
"Well, if I was Lindy," said Mrs. Hawkins, "I wouldn't do anything for her if she wanted me to. She used to abuse that child shamefully. Is Miss Lindy goin' to keep house arter her mother dies?"
"No," said Betsy, "she's got her things all packed up, and she told Samanthy she should leave town for well and good as soon as her mother was buried."
"I don't blame her," exclaimed Mrs. Hawkins. "Where's Samanthy goin'?"