She is a cousin of old Mrs. Carroll , but , lawful heart , the Carrolls did n't used to make much of the relationship ! Well , Mrs. Joel and I had a chat . She told me all her troubles -- she always has lots of them . Sarah was always of a grumbling turn , and she had a brand-new stock of them this time . What do you think , Anna March ? Lou Carroll -- or Mrs. Baxter , I suppose I should say -- is up there at Joel Kent 's at Oriental , dying of consumption ; leastwise , Mrs. Joel says she is . '' `` Lou Carroll dying at Oriental ! '' cried Mrs. March . `` Yes . She came there from goodness knows where , about a month ago -- might as well have dropped from the clouds , Mrs. Joel says , for all she expected of it . Her husband is dead , and I guess he led her a life of it when he was alive , and she 's as poor as second skimmings . She was aiming to come here , Mrs. Joel says , but when she got to Oriental she was n't fit to stir a step further , and the Kents had to keep her . I gather from what Mrs. Joel said that she 's rather touched in her mind too , and has an awful hankering to get home here -- to this very house . She appears to have the idea that it is hers , and all just the same as it used to be . I guess she is a sight of trouble , and Mrs. Joel ai n't the woman to like that . But there ! She has to work most awful hard , and I suppose a sick person does n't come handy in a hotel . I guess you 've got your revenge , Anna , without lifting a finger to get it . Think of Lou Carroll coming to that ! '' The next day was cold and raw .
The ragged , bare trees in the old XXXXX grounds shook and writhed in the gusts of wind .
Anna Baxter Carroll Carrolls Joel Kents March hankering leastwise skimmings