That summer Aunt Rebecca became ill. Millie volunteered to take care of
her.
"She ain't got no child to do for her," said the hired girl, "and abody
feels forlorn when you're sick. I'll go tend her if you want."
"Oh, Millie, I'd be so glad if you'd go! Strangers might be ugly to
her, for she's a little hard to get along with. And I can't do it to
take care of her."
"You--well, I guess you ain't strong enough to do work like that. If
she gets real sick she'll have to be lifted around and she ain't too
light, neither. If you and Amanda can shift here I'll just pack my
telescope and go right over to Landisville."
So Millie packed and strapped her old gray telescope and went to wait
on the sick woman.
She found Aunt Rebecca in bed, very ill, with a kind neighbor
ministering to her.
"My goodness, Millie," she greeted the newcomer, "I never was so glad
to see anybody like I am you! You pay this lady for her trouble. My
money is in the wash-stand drawer. Lock the drawer open and get it out"
After the neighbor had been paid and departed Millie and the sick woman
were left alone. "Millie," said Aunt Rebecca, "you stay with me till I
go. Ach, you needn't tell me I'll get well. I know I'm done for. I
don't want a lot o' strangers pokin' round in my things and takin' care
of me. I'm crabbit and they don't have no patience."
"Ach, you'll be around again in no time," said Millie cheerfully.
"Don't you worry. I'll run everything just like it ought to be. I'll
tend you so good you'll be up and about before you know it."
"I'm not so easy fooled. I won't get out of this room till I'm carried
out, I know. My goodness, abody thinks back over a lot o' things when
you get right sick once! I made a will, Millie, and a pretty good one,"
the sick woman laughed as if in enjoyment of a pleasant secret. Her
nurse attributed the laughter to delirium. But Aunt Rebecca went on,
astonishing the other woman more and deepening the conviction that the
strange talk was due to flightiness.
"Yes, I made a will! Some people'll say I was crazy, but you tell them
for me I'm as sane as any one. My goodness, can't abody do what abody
wants with your own money? Didn't I slave and scratch and skimp like
everything all my life! And you bet I'm goin' to give that there money
just where I want!"
"Ach, people always fuss about wills. It gives them something to talk
about," said Millie, thinking argument useless.
"Yes, it won't worry me. I won't hear it. I have it all fixed where and
how I want to be buried, and all about the funeral. I want to have a
nice funeral, eat in the meeting-house, and have enough to eat, too. I
was to a funeral once and everything got all before all the people had
eaten. I was close livin', but I ain't goin' to be close dead."