Nan carried the coffee into Aunt Sallie’s room. Mrs. Pry had not gotten out of bed and the shades were drawn down over the windows.
“Shall I make it lighter for you?” asked Nan. “It’s snowing again.”
“What’s that? You say the pig is out of the pen? Land sakes, child, I didn’t know you kept a pig! Dear me, and Sam isn’t here to chase him back into the pen! Oh, the misery in my back! If it wasn’t for the lumbago I’d get after the pig!”
“I didn’t say anything about a pig or a pen,” answered Nan, trying not to laugh. “I said it was snowing again!”
“Oh, snowing again,” Mrs. Pry remarked. “Well, why didn’t you say so at first, my dear? Dear me! We’re having a lot of snow this winter, and early, too. That’s right; raise the curtains so I can see out. And thank you for the coffee. Ah, it makes me feel better,” she said, as she sipped it.
“Is it all right and strong enough?” asked Nan.
“Plenty strong, and very good, my dear. You’re quite a little housekeeper.”
Nan thought that she would need to be, and so would Bert, if they were to be left alone with a sick woman to look after. But Nan said nothing about this.
She helped Mrs. Pry sit up in bed, for the old lady could hardly raise herself on account of the pain in her back. Nan propped the pillows up against her, and then started downstairs to get the hot flatiron, leaving Mrs. Pry sipping the coffee and eating the bread and butter.
As Nan started down she heard the shrill voices of Flossie and Freddie, and she heard Bert calling: