Mrs. Lennox had set her chair
outside the door, and followed it, with a painful effort. "Stop,
father!" she cried; "I'm goin' too!"
"Oh, mother, you can't!" said Mr. Lennox and Cynthia, together.
"I'm goin'. You needn't say a word. Father, you get out an' help me in."
Mr. Lennox got out and lifted, while Cynthia pulled. Mrs. Lennox's
injured foot suffered, but she set her mouth hard, and said nothing.
They started at a good pace, three on a seat, with Mr. Lennox in the
middle, driving.
They had got about half-way to the store when they overtook Aunt Maria.
Aunt Maria, with the green umbrella overhead, was proceeding steadily,
with a sideways motion that seemed more effective than the forward one.
"I'll get out, and let her get in," said Cynthia.
"No," said her father; "it won't do; it 'ill break the springs. We can't
ride three on a seat with Aunt Maria, anyhow, and I've got to drive."
So they passed Aunt Maria.
"Don't go any farther, Aunt Maria," Cynthia called, sobbingly, back to
her. "You sit down on the wall and rest."
But Aunt Maria shook her head, she could not speak, and kept on.
It was quarter-past three when they reached the Rose house and the
store. The store was in the front of the house, and the Rose family
occupied the rear portion. The house stood on a street corner, so a good
deal of it was visible, and the whole establishment had a shut-up air;
not a single farmer's wagon stood before the store.
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