and of that, simply that he
might avoid feeling. If someone didn't kill him within the next hour or
so, he was going to feel something--something that would hurt him more
than he had been hurt since his father died in that same house. But in
the meantime he need only think.

The shadow of the grove, with the long fingers of the poplars to
point the way, climbed slowly up the bluff. Good Indian smoked another
cigarette while he watched it. When a certain great bowlder that was
like a miniature ledge glowed rosily and then slowly darkened to a chill
gray, he threw his cigarette stub unerringly at a lily-pad which had
courtesied many a time before to a like missile from his hand, pulled
his hat down over his eyes, jumped off the porch, and started around the
house to the gate which led to the stable.

Phoebe came out from the sitting-room, ran down the steps, and barred
his way.

"Grant!" she said, and there were tears in her eyes, "don't do anything
rash--don't. If it's for our sakes--and I know it is--don't do it.
They'll go, anyway. We'll have the law on them and make them go. But
don't YOU go down there. You let Thomas handle that part. You're like
one of my own boys. I can't let you go!"

He looked down at her commiseratingly. "I've got to go, Mother Hart.
I've made my war-talk." He hesitated, bent his head, and kissed her on
the forehead as she stood looking up at him, and went on.

"Grant--GRANT!" she cried heartbrokenly after him, and sank down on the
porch-steps with her face hidden in her arms.

Miss Georgie was standing beside the gate, looking toward the stable.
She may not have been waiting for him, but she turned without any show
of surprise when he walked up behind her.

"Well, your jumpers seem to have taken the hint," she informed him, with
a sort of surface cheerfulness. "Stanley is down there talking to Mr.
Hart now, and the others have gone on. They'll all be well over the
dead-line by sundown. There goes Stanley now. Do you really feel that
your future happiness depends on getting through this gate? Well--if you
must--" She swung it open, but she stood in the opening.

"Grant, I--it's hard to say just what I want to say--but--you did right.
You acted the man's part. No matter what--others--may think or say,
remember that I think you did right to kill that man. And if there's
anything under heaven that I can do, to--to help--you'll let me do it,
won't you?" Her eyes held him briefly, unabashed