"She says she'll take me," cried Mrs. Scates, as she entered the
room--"just as soon as I can come, and here's a big basket of apples
and peaches, she sent you, and--" the poor woman was quite out of
breath. "I met that minister, Mr. Gay, and he said he was coming up
to see you, Arthur."
"Did you ever go to Mr. Gay's church?" Quincy asked Mrs. Scates.
"Jus' onct, and that was enough. He'll have to leave here sooner or
later."
"What for?"
"Why, he don't believe in no divil--an' ye can't make folks good
unless they knows there's a divil."
Quincy recalled the story of the Scotch woman, a stern Presbyterian,
who thought if ten thousand were saved at the final judgment that it
would be "muckle many," and who, when asked if she expected to be one
of the elect, replied "Sartainly." He felt that a theological
discussion with Grandma Scates would end in his discomfiture and he
wisely refrained.
Quincy reached Mandy Maxwell's just in time for dinner, and, at his
request, it was served in Uncle Ike's room.
"This is more cheerful," said he to Quincy. "I once thought that
being alone was the height of enjoyment--and I did enjoy myself very
selfishly for a good many years. Has Alice told you of our
conversation?"
Quincy nodded.
"I've been thinking about it since and I decided my first move would
be to live, if I could, with my own flesh and blood.
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