When this was all over, how many real friends she would have gained. But she mustn’t forget that she was here for a purpose. Perhaps if she took a short nap now, she would be in better trim for the real thing ... if it came....
She turned over and tried to sleep, but the tension on the ward was so overpowering that she thought perhaps if she entered the conversation she might discover ... or maybe she was just imagining things and the thunderstorm which was brewing was causing that feeling.
If only they would all begin to talk of something they were interested in and not to cover up what they were thinking.
There came a lull and she asked Mrs. Witherspoon:
“Do you think the flavor is better when you cook pork with sauerkraut, or without it?”
“Without it!” chimed in the woman with the enormous legs. “I give it to my children since they was babies and I always cooks it thorough ... four to five hours ... and then....”
“You do?” Mrs. Witherspoon laid down her crocheting, inserted her teeth and became emphatic.
“Thet saps all the taste. Mr. Witherspoon likes hisn so ez the pork and kraut is mixed flavored, if you know what I mean. Ain’t it awful leathery, yo’ way?”
“It ain’t the cookin’ time, as I was about to say,” the fat woman drew up her chins, “it’s the cookin’ way.”
“I got one of them steamer cookeths. It doz gran’,” lisped the ex-circus woman.