I killed him, juist as sure as if I'd taken an ax and broken
his heid."

Through every minute of the exposure of winter outdoors and the torment
of it inside, Dannie tortured himself. Of Mary he seldom thought at
all. She was safe with her sister, and although Dannie did not know
when or how it happened, he awoke one day to the realization that he
had renounced her. He had killed Jimmy; he could not take his wife and
his farm. And Dannie was so numb with long-suffering, that he did not
much care. There come times when troubles pile so deep that the edge of
human feeling is dulled.

He would take care of Mary, yes, she was as much Jimmy's as his farm,
but he did not want her for himself now. If he had to kill his only
friend, he would not complete his downfall by trying to win his wife.
So through that winter Mary got very little consideration in the
remorseful soul of Dannie, and Jimmy grew, as the dead grow, by leaps
and bounds, until by spring Dannie had him well-nigh canonized.

When winter broke, Dannie had his future well mapped out. And that
future was devotion to Jimmy's memory, with no more of Mary in it than
was possible to keep out. He told himself that he was glad she was away
and he did not care to have her return. Deep in his soul he harbored
the feeling that he had killed Jimmy to make himself look victor in her
eyes in such a small matter as taking a fish. And deeper yet a feeling
that, everything considered, still she might mourn Jimmy more than she
did.

So Dannie definitely settled that he always would live alone on the
farms. Mary should remain with her sister, and at his death, everything
should be hers. The night he finally reached that decision, the
Kingfisher came home. Dannie heard his rattle of exultation as he
struck the embankment and the suffering man turned his face to the wall
and sobbed aloud, so that for a little time he stifled Jimmy's dying
gasps that in wakeful night hours sounded in his ears. Early the next
morning he drove through the village on his way to the county seat,
with a load of grain. Dolan saw him and running home he told Mary. "He
will be gone all day. Now is your chance!" he said.

Mary sprang to her feet, "Hurry!" she panted, "hurry!"

An hour later a loaded wagon, a man and three women drew up before the
cabins in Rainbow Bottom. Mary, her sister, Dolan, and a scrub woman
entered. Mary pointed out the objects which she wished removed, and
Dolan carried them out.