e. She would waste under
the curse of it, and follow Isom to the grave in a little while, if she
could not soon be moved to weep.

Ollie did not want to appear unneighborly nor unkind, but as the night
wore heavily on she at last requested them to leave her.

"You are all so good and kind!" said she, sincere for the moment, for
there was no mistaking that they meant to be. "But I think if you'd take
the lamp out of the room I could go to sleep. If I need you, I'll
call."

"Now, that's just what you do, deary," said red-faced Mrs. Greening,
patting her head comfortingly.

The women retired to the spare bedroom where Joe had slept the night
before, and from there their low voices came to Ollie through the open
door. She got up and closed it gently, and ran up the window-blind and
opened the window-sash, letting in the wind, standing there a little
while drawing her gown aside, for the touch of it on her hot breast. She
remembered the day that Joe had seen her so, the churn-dasher in her
hand; the recollection of what was pictured in his face provoked a
smile.

There was a mist before the moon like a blowing veil, presaging rain
tomorrow, the day of the funeral. It was well known in that part of the
country that rain on a coffin a certain sign that another of that family
would die within a year. Ollie hoped that it would not rain. She was not
ready to die within a year, nor many years. Her desire to live was large
and deep. She had won the right, Isom had compensated in part for the
evil he had done her in leaving behind him all that was necessary to
make the journey pleasant.

As she turned into her bed again and composed herself for sleep, she
thought of Joe, with a feeling of tenderness. She recalled again what
Isom had proudly told her of the lad's blood and breeding, and she
understood dimly now that there was something extraordinary in Joe's
manner of shielding her to his own disgrace and hurt. A common man would
not have done that, she knew.

She wondered if Morgan would have done it, if he had been called upon,
but the yea or the nay of it did not trouble her. Morgan was secure in
her heart without sacrifice.

Well, tomorrow they would bury Isom, and that would end it. Joe would be
set free then, she thought, the future would be clear. So reasoning, she
went to sleep in peace.

Ollie's habit of early rising during the past year of her busy life made
it impossible for her to sleep after daylight. For a w