of his peculiarities as long as
he could remember when there were others about older than himself, and
supposed from that reason to be graver and wiser. It probably had its
beginning in Joe's starting out rather spindling and undersized, and not
growing much until he was ten or thereabout, when he took a sudden shoot
ahead, like a water-sprout on an apple-tree.

And then he always had regarded matrimony as a state of gravity and
maturity, into which the young and unsophisticated did not venture. This
feeling seemed to place between them in Joe's mind a boundless gulf,
across which he could offer her only the sympathy and assistance of a
boy. There was nothing in his mind of sympathy from an equality of years
and understanding, only the chivalric urging of succor to the
oppressed.

"It's a low-down way for a man to treat a woman, especially his wife,"
said Joe, his indignation mounting at sight of her tears.

"Yes, and he'd whip you, too, if he dared to do it," said she, sitting
in Isom's place at the end of the table, where she could look across
into Joe's face. "I can see that in him when he watches you eat."

"I hope he'll never try it," said Joe.

"You're not afraid of him?"

"Maybe not," admitted Joe.

"Then why do you say you hope he'll never try it?" she pressed.

"Oh, because I do," said Joe, bending over his plate.

"I'd think you'd be glad if he did try it, so you could pay him off for
his meanness," she said.

Joe looked across at her seriously.

"Did he slap you this morning?" he asked.

Ollie turned her head, making no reply.

"I thought I heard you two scuffling around in the kitchen as I came to
the porch with the milk," said he.

"Don't tell it around!" she appealed, her eyes big and terrified at the
recollection of what had passed. "No, he didn't hit me, Joe; but he
choked me. He grabbed me by the throat and shook me--his old hand's as
hard as iron!"

Joe had noticed that she wore a handkerchief pinned around her neck. As
she spoke she put her hand to her throat, and her tears gushed again.

"That's no way for a man to treat his wife," said Joe indignantly.

"If you knew everything--_if you knew everything_!" said she.

Joe, being young, and feeling younger, could not see how she was
straining to come to a common footing of understanding with him, to
reach a plane where his sympathy would be a balm. He could not realize
that her orbit of thought was similar to his own, that she was