imes forced to believe that the women folks are lackin' in human
sympathy. Ma'm, I'll fetch your curtain, but I've got to have somethin'
to wrap around the dead and the brave."

"Don't you take that apron. Why, if he wouldn't take the best apron I've
got, right out from under my very eyes. And you can't have that stand
cover, either."

"Well, but, by jings, what can I have? Am I a traveler that has jest
stopped here to stay all night? There's no use in talkin'; I'm goin' to
have 'em put away decent. Take me for a barbarian?"

He went out, and just as I was going up to bed I met him in the passage
way, with a roll of white stuff in his bare arms, and as he stepped into
the room I heard his wife exclaim: "Mercy on me, if he hasn't taken his
best shirt. And what he is goin' to do for somethin' to wear the Lord
only knows."

I heard Guinea laughing, and then I heard the old man say that what a
man happened to wear would make but little difference with the Lord.

I was so worn that my sleep that night was dreamless, but when early at
morning they called me to breakfast I knew that during the hours of that
deep oblivion I had been vaguely conscious of a dim and shadowy
happiness; and a vivid truth came upon me with the first glimpse of
sunlight.

The old man was waiting at the foot of the stairs. "Bill, we are goin'
over to the station right after we eat a bite," he said. "We can't take
but a few things, and we'll leave the most of our trumpery till we git
settled somewhere. Take care of that horse you've been ridin'--he don't
belong to us; was left here by a man some time ago, feller that had to
go away off somewhere to see his folks. So, you jest keep him till he's
called for; and I've left you plenty of corn out there to feed him on.
You can study your books here about as well as you can in town, and I
wish you'd sorter look after the things. Parker will drive us over to
the station."

"And am I to go also?" I asked.

"No, I believe not. It's Guinea's arrangement and not mine. Let her have
her own way. All women have got their whims, the whole kit an' b'ilin'
of 'em, and you might as well reason with a weather cock. Wait a minit
before we go in. As soon as we git half way settled Guinea will write to
you. I have no idee where I'm goin', but it will be away off somewhere.
It makes me shudder every time I meet a man that I know, and I'd bet a
horse that if I was to meet a cross-eyed feller I'd fight him. If Alf
git