improvement. She ceased not from cutting sets with much energy.
“Is it any use to ask you to sit down?” she inquired sarcastically. “Of course,
there’s nothing very entertaining here for you. The rest are all away.”
“Mother sent you this little pot of rhubarb jelly,” said Diana pleasantly. “She
made it today and thought you might like some.”
“Oh, thanks,” said Aunt Atossa sourly. “I never fancy your mother’s jelly—
she always makes it too sweet. However, I’ll try to worry some down. My
appetite’s been dreadful poor this spring. I’m far from well,” continued Aunt
Atossa solemnly, “but still I keep a-doing. People who can’t work aren’t wanted
here. If it isn’t too much trouble will you be condescending enough to set the
jelly in the pantry? I’m in a hurry to get these spuds done tonight. I suppose you
two LADIES never do anything like this. You’d be afraid of spoiling your
hands.”
“I used to cut potato sets before we rented the farm,” smiled Anne.
“I do it yet,” laughed Diana. “I cut sets three days last week. Of course,” she
added teasingly, “I did my hands up in lemon juice and kid gloves every night
after it.”
Aunt Atossa sniffed.
“I suppose you got that notion out of some of those silly magazines you read
so many of. I wonder your mother allows you. But she always spoiled you. We
all thought when George married her she wouldn’t be a suitable wife for him.”
Aunt Atossa sighed heavily, as if all forebodings upon the occasion of George
Barry’s marriage had been amply and darkly fulfilled.
“Going, are you?” she inquired, as the girls rose. “Well, I suppose you can’t
find much amusement talking to an old woman like me. It’s such a pity the boys
ain’t home.”
“We want to run in and see Ruby Gillis a little while,” explained Diana.
“Oh, anything does for an excuse, of course,” said Aunt Atossa, amiably.
“Just whip in and whip out before you have time to say how-do decently. It’s
college airs, I s’pose. You’d be wiser to keep away from Ruby Gillis. The
doctors say consumption’s catching. I always knew Ruby’d get something,
gadding off to Boston last fall for a visit. People who ain’t content to stay home
always catch something.”
“People who don’t go visiting catch things, too. Sometimes they even die,”
said Diana solemnly.
“Then they don’t have themselves to blame for it,” retorted Aunt Atossa