“Well, Jabez he was a-sittin’ stock still as a stun, an’ it scart me. I didn’t know but what he was dead. If it had ’a’ been cold weather, I should suppose he’d fruz. And I says to him, says”—
“Where did he say he found the children?” asked Phronsie.
“I was a-comin’ to that,” said Miss Sally shortly; and picking up her tea again, she took a good swallow. “Well, Jabez he says to me, he says, ‘Get these childern home, will ye, Miss Scrannage?’ I’m very sure he said home, ain’t you, B’lindy.”
“I don’t remember,” said Miss Belinda.
Miss Sally tossed her a look of scorn. “Well, I do,” she sniffed. “He says, ‘Get these childern home, will ye, Miss Scrannage, down to Mr. Beebe’s shoe-shop?’ An’ sister an’ me said of course we would; an’ he an’ I got the childern in, an’”—
“The ‘Scrannage Girls,’ as their neighbors called them.”
“And she put me on a slippery basket, and I couldn’t see the horse,” said Elyot; “and I didn’t like it!”
“O Elyot!” said his mother gently, patting his head; “just think how kind dear Miss Sally was. You couldn’t have gotten home without her, dear.”
Elyot grunted feebly something that was inaudible, especially as Miss Sally, much mollified by Mrs. King’s words, proceeded,—