gered, but it had become
merely a muscular contraction, like the smile on dead lips. The soul
had left it.

"Yes," she said steadily. "It's true they're poor. But it's not for
you to fling that in their faces. A man who's lived on his sister's
earnings for twenty years."

He was dumb for a moment, wincing under the taunt but lacking words to
answer. He was not without reasonable qualities, and reason told him
he had taken the wrong track. The change in his voice when he spoke
again would have seemed ludicrous had she been in a mood to be amused.

"See here, Persis, you've got a chance now to take things easy. You've
worked hard," he admitted patronizingly, "and you've earned a right to
enjoy the rest of your life. Now, see how silly 'twould be to saddle
yourself with looking after a pack of children. It's no joke, I can
tell you; bringing up five young ones, nursing 'em through measles and
whooping-cough and the Lord knows what, and never being sure whether
they'll turn out good or bad. Maybe you think I'm prejudiced, but I'll
bet you anything you like that at this minute half Clematis is
wondering whether you're clean crazy or what."

Under his conciliatory address her first anger had cooled. A little
half-contemptuous smile curled her lips.

"It's a funny thing, Joel, you've known me for quite a
spell--thirty-seven years, the sixth of October--and you haven't found
out yet that I'm not looking for an easy time. My idea of Heaven ain't
a place where you can sit down and fold your hands."

"I s'pose you'd rather stick at home and fuss over other folks'
children than travel. You used to be crazy about foreign places,
Roosia and Italy and Egypt." Joel's eyes kindled with an unholy light
as he repeated the magic names. A bystander might have been reminded
of another tempter showing the kingdoms of the earth as a lure.

"Time enough to travel," Persis said laconically, "when my family is
raised."

"Giving up all the peace of your home, all the quiet--"

"Stillness isn't peace, Joel. There's quiet enough in the grave, if
that's what you're after. I don't want the hush of the tomb around
here. I want little feet tripping up and down and little voices
calling. Seems to me as if this old house had come alive since I
brought these children into it. And I've come alive myself. It's what
I always wanted, a family of children. I gave it up like I've given up
so many things, but I've got it at last,