so. His breath
fell hot on her neck as he sought Jack's face on her shoulder, but he did
not offer to kiss her, and she turned away with an unspeakable relief.

"Take Jack and I'll carry the jug out to the boys while you have a chat
with Hugh," Elizabeth said suddenly.

John was very tired, the field where they had been cutting shock corn was
very hot, and the house looked cool and inviting.

"Well, I guess I will."

The jug was heavier than Elizabeth had thought and she sat down to rest on
the way, observing as she did so that Doctor Morgan was driving into the
lane.

"I am not absolved from blame because he scolds," she told herself.

As she thought of her duties in life, Jack's affectionate little speech of
half an hour ago came to mind. Aye! there was the crux of the whole
difficulty. She was Jack's mother! A line of Emerson's which she had read
with Hugh once came to her mind: "In my dealings with my child, my Latin
and my Greek, my accomplishments and my money, stead me nothing. They are
all lost upon him: but as much soul as I have avails." Her whole mind was
taken up with the quotation as soon as it came before her.

"As much soul as I have avails!" Over and over she repeated it, and when
she at last saw John bearing down upon her she got up guiltily and waited
instead of going on with the jug alone.

"Was it too heavy?" he asked. "I'll take it over and come back for you.
Doctor Morgan wants to see you. I'll come back; it's too hot for me; I'm
going to rest."

The cool house had appealed to John Hunter.

At the house Hugh Noland was asking searching questions of the old
doctor.

"When do you intend to let me get out of here, Doctor?" he asked.

"Out of here?" the doctor exclaimed. "Not till you're well enough. Just
what do you mean by 'out of here?'" he asked in return.

"Just what I said. When will I be well enough to go to Mitchell County?"

There was an intensity about it which caught the doctor's attention.

"Now look here, Noland, you won't go to Mitchell County for a year with
such a heart as that--it's too far from your friends, my boy. Be good and
don't you get to worrying. You've got to stand it. Be a man."

Had Doctor Morgan shown any tenderness Hugh Noland would have told him the
real reason for wanting to get away, but something in the banter of being
admonished to be a man took away the thing which made it possible.

"Then can't I be taken into town?" Hugh asked when he had had ti