“What is it?”
“Yes.”
“They won't? O, I suppose so if nobody else will. I'll be up there in a little bit.” He muttered something, took his hat and went.
When he came back, he said, “This time I had to help the dead.”
“To help the dead!” exclaimed Mary.
“Yes. To help a dead woman into her coffin. Everybody was afraid to touch her.”
“Why?”
“The report got out that she died of smallpox. I only saw her once and could not be sure, but to be on the safe side I insisted that every precaution be taken—hence the scare.”
“But how could you lift the body without help?”
“Oh, I managed it somehow. Just the same I'd rather minister to the living,” said John, to which Mary gave vigorous assent.