Deborah Morgan 's old eyes sparkled dangerously as she read it . `` I guess somebody is pretty jealous of Josie , '' she muttered . `` I do n't wonder Pa was riled up . But I guess she can hold her own . She 's a Morgan . '' No long time after this Cyrus took a notion he 'd like a trip to the city . He 'd like to see the Horse Fair and look up Cousin Hiram Morgan 's folks . `` Hiram and me used to be great chums , Mother . And we 're getting kind of mossy , I guess , never stirring out of Spring Valley . Let 's go and dissipate for a week -- what say ? '' Deborah agreed readily , albeit of late years she had been much averse to going far from home and had never at any time been very fond of Cousin Hiram 's wife . Cyrus was as pleased as a child over their trip . On the second day of their sojourn in the city he slipped away when Deborah had gone shopping with Mrs. Hiram and hurried through the streets to the Green Square Theatre with a hang-dog look . He bought a ticket apologetically and sneaked in to his seat . It was a matinee performance , and Joscelyn Morgan was starring in her famous new play . Cyrus waited for the curtain to rise , feeling as if every one of his Spring Valley neighbours must know where he was and revile him for it . If Deborah were ever to find out ... but Deborah must never find out ! For the first time in their married life the old man deliberately plotted to deceive his old wife . He must see his girl Josie just once ; it was a terrible thing that she was an actress , but she was a successful one , nobody could deny that , except fools who yapped in the National Gazette . The curtain went up and Cyrus rubbed his eyes .
He had certainly braced his nerves to behold some mystery XXXXX iniquity ; instead he saw an old kitchen so like his own at home that it bewildered him ; and there , sitting by the cheery wood stove , in homespun gown , with primly braided hair , was Joscelyn -- his girl Josie , as he had seen her a thousand times by his own ingle-side .
On after as except for of over through to with