iserbel, Robert, ef I broke my father's will. It would kill
me, I do believe. Besides, I wuden' sell em, ef I diden' have er cent ter
buy er crust of braid with, even ef I wuzen' boun' by the will. En ez fur
sellen' this place, war I wuz born'd en raze, I never spec' ter. I wan'er
live en die rite here. Besides, there's Aunt Betsy. She wud never consent
ter go away fum here, en I cuden' leave her by hersef.'

"Yer par git up then, en slam the do, 'en I never heerd no mo'. 'Twuz the
fus' out-en-out quarrel they ever had; but they had menny er one arfter
that. Pear-lak one led ter ernuther; en thar wuz nobody ter take hold en
help. Mis Betsy wud pitch in en say things that made 'em madder en
madder. Well, one mawnen' early, Squire went ter the stable ter feed, en
he sed Mars Robert dun took the horses en buggy, en er wagin fur hees
trunk, en gorn. Erbout dinner time the men cum bak with the buggy en
wagin, but no Mars Robert. Fum that day ter this he never cum bak."

"Did he never write to mamma?" asked the child, her cheeks burning.

"I berleeve he did, unct; sent her sum money or sumfin'. I heered Mis
Betsy say, 'Put it en bank fur your unborn'd chile,' en your mar sed, 'I
don' want it; I have enuff.'

"Tempers iz er mity bad thing, honey," continued Mam' Sarah. "Now, I don'
mean that nasty sperit that makes er dog snap hees teef at you, cors your
mar en par never had no temper lak dat, chile. Mo' lak spile chillen, that
dun had ther way so long they cuden' give in, speshly your par. If your
par haden' gorn so fur erway, your mar en him wud made up when you cum.
Chillens teeches fo'ks er heep. But you see, honey, they never had no
chance ter make up. My ole man en me haz menny ups en downs. Sumhow, when
he gits sick, or I haz ter do sumfin' fur him, I furgit erbout bein' mad
at him.

"Pear-lak, ter me, honey, en I've stidded on it er heep, the mo' you do
fur fo'ks the better you laks 'em. 'Twud bin the same with your mar en
your par, ef your par haden' gorn so fur away. When you marry, honey, you
marry one of the nabor boys."

"I never mean to marry anybody," said Roberta, getting down from Mam'
Sarah's lap, and shaking out the creases in her muslin dress. She was a
dainty creature. "I am going to be an old maid and take care of mamma. May
be I can make her laugh and sing, after a while, like Aunt Betsy says she
used to. I'll never leave her, never, never. And then there's Aunt Betsy
to take care of, and you, and A