"
Her niece went out quickly, and a maid was sent in with tea and toast and
eggs at once. Their effect was to brace the invalid up and make the lot of
those about her yet more wearing.
"I shall run it myself," she vowed, when Arethusa returned; "an' I bet
they clear out when they see me comin'."
It did seem highly probable.
"I don't know how I can live if I don't get away from here soon," she
declared a few minutes later. "You don't appreciate what life is,
Arethusa. Seems like I'll go mad with wantin' to be somewhere else. I can
see Jack gets his disposition straight from me."
There was a sigh and a pause.
"I shall die," Aunt Mary then declared with violence, "if I don't have a
change. Arethusa, you've got to write to Jack, and tell him to get me
Granite."
"Granite!" screamed the niece in surprise.
"Yes, Granite. She was a maid I had in New York. I want her to come here.
She must come. Tell him to offer her anything, and send her C.O.D. If I
can have Granite, maybe I'll feel some better. You write Jack."
"I'll write to-night," shrieked Arethusa.
"No, you won't," said Aunt Mary; "you'll get the ink and write right now.
Because I've been meeker'n Moses all my life is no reason why I sh'd be
willin' to be downtrodden clear to the end. Folks around me'd better begin
to look sharp an' step lively from now on."
Arethusa went to the desk at once and wrote:
DEAR JACK:
Aunt Mary wants the maid that she had when she was in New York.
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