I shall never know why it suddenly came into my head to go up to the garret and make sure that the moths had n't got into my box of blankets ; but I always believed that it was a special interposition of Providence . I went up and happened to look out of the east window ; and there I saw Emmeline Strong coming home across our pond field . I just flew down those garret stairs and out through the birches . I burst into the Strong kitchen , where Stephen and Prissy were sitting as cozy as you please . `` Stephen , come quick ! Emmeline 's nearly here , '' I cried . Prissy looked out of the window and wrung her hands . `` Oh , she 's in the lane now , '' she gasped . `` He ca n't get out of the house without her seeing him . Oh , Rosanna , what shall we do ? '' I really do n't know what would have become of those two people if I had n't been in existence to find ideas for them . `` Take Stephen up to the garret and hide him there , Prissy , '' I said firmly , `` and take him quick . '' Prissy took him quick , but she had barely time to get back to the kitchen before Emmeline marched in -- mad as a wet hen because somebody had been ahead of her offering to sit up with Jane Lawson , and so she lost the chance of poking and prying into things while Jane was asleep . The minute she clapped eyes on Prissy she suspected something . It was n't any wonder , for there was Prissy , all dressed up , with flushed cheeks and shining eyes . She was all in a quiver of excitement , and looked ten years younger . `` Priscilla Strong , you 've been expecting Stephen Clark here this evening ! '' burst out Emmeline . `` You wicked , deceitful , underhanded , ungrateful creature ! '' And she went on storming at Prissy , who began to cry , and looked so weak and babyish that I was frightened she would betray the whole thing .
`` This is between you and Prissy , Emmeline , '' I struck in , `` and I 'm not going XXXXX interfere .
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