of national interest and
telegrams and letters and representatives of the press poured into
Goodloets from all parts of the country. Mr. Jeffries and the Governor
stayed with us until it was all over, and when Mr. Jeffries left he
pressed into father's hand a large check of five figures.

"To help them build again, those who need it, in memory of him," he
said.

The Governor and his staff spent time and effort in helping to
reorganize Goodloets, but through it all it was the powerful Harpeth
Jaguar on whom we all leaned. He came and went day and night, tireless,
quiet, commanding, and with that great light shining from back of his
eyes upon us all. And in his ministrations down in the Settlement he
took Martha with him day after day. He forced her to use up all of the
strength that she possessed each day so that she would drop with
exhaustion at night. To me he left most of the comforting of Nell--and
Harriet. Like all women of buoyant and shallow nature, Nell soon began
to rebound from her tragedy and it was hard to keep Billy within
decorous bounds in his comforting of her. It would have been impossible
to have done it at all with the former Billy, but the quiet, steady
light that shone in his honest eyes whenever he helped with Nell and the
children spoke well for a reformed and perfectly satisfactory future for
them all.

"Billy," I said to him one afternoon when he had taken all four of the
kiddies out in his car to get wild grapes, when Harriet had counted on
having wee Susan to herself for the afternoon, while Nell was
interestedly busy over somber but much needed winter clothes for
herself. "You have just got to make up your mind that Harriet is going
to absolutely possess Sue for the future. I don't know about any
legalities but I am going to see that Harriet gets Susan."

"What you say goes, Charlotte, as it always has," he answered me, with
honest adoring in his young eyes that had lost their reckless hunger.
"And if you aren't careful you'll lead us all into Kingdom Come in blind
bridles. Be careful not to over-fill Goodloe's fold. I don't want to
crowd you. I'll take my turn when it comes." He was laughing as he
spoke but there was a depth to the laughter that I understood.

"Thank you, Billy, for your consideration," I answered him, as I took
small Sue's hand and turned in at the Sproul gate.

Harriet sat on the steps in the fading sunlight and the small music box
flung herself into the outstretched