Read "Mary Louise in the Country" by L. Frank Baum online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
"Well," said Mary Louise, when Josie had related to her friend the story next morning, "what do you think of Old Swallowtail now?"
"About the same as before. I'm gradually accumulating facts to account for the old man's strange actions, but I'm not ready to submit them for criticism just yet. The plot is still a bit ragged and I want to mend the holes before I spread it out before you."