She watched her opportunity, and took down Mr. Wales'
old blue jacket from its peg behind the shed-door, ran with it up
stairs and hid it in her own room behind the bed. "There," said she,
"Mrs. Wales sha'n't cry over _that!_"
That night, at tea time, the work of taking the inventory was
complete. Mr. Whitcomb and Mr. White walked away with their long
lists, satisfied that they had done their duty according to the law.
Every article of Samuel Wales' property, from a warming pan to a
chest of drawers, was set down, with the sole exception of that old
blue jacket which Ann had hidden.
She felt complacent over it at first; then she begun to be uneasy.
"Nabby," said she confidentially to the old servant woman, when they
were washing the pewter plates together after supper, "what would
they do, if anybody shouldn't let them set down all the things--if
they hid some of 'em away, I mean?"
"They'd make a dretful time on't," said Nabby, impressively. She was
a large, stern-looking old woman. "They air dretful perticklar 'bout
these things. They hev to be.
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