Just here Jathrop came out of his mother's front door and walked down the path. Both ladies were freshly shocked by the sight. At the gate he turned in the opposite direction. Both ladies stared after him. Soon he was out of sight. Then they stared at each other. "Well, what is he up to now?" Mrs. Macy finally ejaculated. "I don't know," said Susan in a tone of complete despair as to ever again gaining any insight into the motives which moved Jathrop, "I d'n know, Mrs. Macy. Don't ask me anything about Jathrop Lathrop after he's gone home to see his mother and has handed me over a Chinese wife to board. He may be gone up to Mrs. Brown's to run off with Amelia for all I know. Nothing is ever going to surprise me any more after this day. I only know one thing, if he does run off with Amelia, that Chinee'll find herself and his valises dumped off of my premises pretty quick. I never was one for false feelings, and I should see no call for Christian charity toward a heathen who comes to me with two black bags on her legs and a dressing-sack for an overcoat." "I wonder if Jathrop likes her wearing such clothes," said Mrs. Macy. "Everybody is wondering." "I don't know," said Miss Clegg, "men are very queer. There's no telling what they are going to fancy till they get out of the train married to it. Think of his having the face to write 'How's Susan Clegg?' and him married to that puzzle-blocks thing all the time. I wonder what his mother said when he told her!" "Let's go over and see Mrs. Lathrop!" suggested Mrs. Macy, "she's over there alone now." This idea immediately found favor with Susan. "But I'll have to go in and see what _she's_ up to first," she said. "If she's caught a rat and is making soup in my teapot with it, I shan't feel to enjoy leaving her alone with my teapot." Mrs. Macy could but feel the extreme justice of this view, and Susan, whose countenance indicated that she was sorely beset by misgivings, went into the house. When she came out, her face wore a relieved expression. "She's all safe," she said. "She's asleep on the floor. I must say it's changed my feelings toward her. It shows she knows her place." They walked sedately to Mrs. Lathrop's. They climbed the back steps, and they knocked. Mrs. Lathrop was busy making preparations for dinner. She came to the door with a promptitude which, in view of her well-known habit of deliberation, was little short of miraculous. "We came to see how you were," said Mrs. Macy. "Come in," said Mrs. Lathrop. They walked in and seated themselves on two of the wooden-bottomed kitchen chairs. Mrs. Lathrop went on with her work. She was uncommonly active, and her face wore a broad, unusual smile. "Jathrop's gone up to the cemetery," she said. "He's going to have a monument put up to his father." "What do you think of--?" interrupted Susan. "Yes, we come to--" began Mrs. Macy.