et his hateful gaze squarely. "Na a minute," he answered,
"excepting when I am thinking about ye."

"The Hell you say!" exploded the astonished Jimmy.

Dannie stepped out of the furrow, and came closer. "See here, Jimmy
Malone," he said. "Ye ain't forgot the nicht when I told ye I loved
Mary, with all my heart, and that I'd never love another woman. I sent
ye to tell her fra me, and to ask if I might come to her. And ye
brought me her answer. It's na your fault that she preferred ye.
Everybody did. But it IS your fault that I've stayed on here. I tried
to go, and ye wouldna let me. So for fifteen years, ye have lain with
the woman I love, and I have lain alone in a few rods of ye. If that
ain't Man-Hell, try some other on me, and see if it will touch me! I
sent ye to tell her that I loved her; have I ever sent ye to tell her
that I've quit? I should think you'd know, by this time, that I'm na
quitter. Love her! Why, I love her till I can see her standin' plain
before me, when I know she's a mile away. Love her! Why, I can smell
her any place I am, sweeter than any flower I ever held to my face.
Love her! Till the day I dee I'll love her. But it ain't any fault of
yours, and if ye've come to the place where I worry ye, that's the
place where I go, as I wanted to on the same day ye brought Mary to
Rainbow Bottom."

Jimmy's gray jaws fell open. Jimmy's sullen eyes cleared. He caught
Dannie by the arm.

"For the love of Hivin, what did I say, Dannie?" he panted. "I must
have been half asleep. Go! You go! You leave Rainbow Bottom! Thin, by
God, I go too! I won't stay here without you, not a day. If I had to
take my choice between you, I'd give up Mary before I'd give up the
best frind I iver had. Go! I guess not, unless I go with you! She can
go to----"

"Jimmy! Jimmy!" cautioned Dannie.

"I mane ivery domn word of it," said Jimmy. "I think more of you, than
I iver did of any woman."

Dannie drew a deep breath. "Then why in the name of God did ye SAY that
thing to me? I have na betrayed your trust in me, not ever, Jimmy, and
ye know it. What's the matter with ye?"

Jimmy heaved a deep sigh, and rubbed his hands across his hot, angry
face. "Oh, I'm just so domn sore!" he said. "Some days I get about
wild. Things haven't come out like I thought they would."

"Jimmy, if ye are in trouble, why do ye na tell me? Canna I help ye?
Have'nt I always helped ye if I could?"

"Yes, you have," said Jimmy. "Always, been a tho