o, now then, Curly," says he after a while, "since we've finished all
our day's work and have a little time left, we can now engage in some
simple pastime, such as mumblety-peg, or maybe marbles, till later in
the evening. I'm through cutting her off, Curly, and I'm happy. I've
left it as clean as I know how. Now I'll bet you a thousand dollars I
can beat you three games out of five at mumblety-peg. My executor,
without bond," says he, going right on, "is Old Man Kimberly."

"You're on, Colonel," says I; "though I don't know where I'll get a
thousand till after your will is probated."

So we went outdoors and set down on the grass and played
mumblety-peg--me losing that thousand, natural. Then we sort of fussed
around outdoors one way or another till it come towards dark. He left
me after a while and went into the house alone.

When I went in I seen him standing by hisself in our ranch room, looking
at some things he'd picked up. They was a white silk scarf and a pair of
long white gloves--he'd like enough found 'em back of the sofa, where
Bonnie Bell probably dropped 'em the night when I seen her setting there
wringing her hands because she didn't know what to do. We never let no
one clean up the ranch room. He put 'em down soft on the sofa and
smoothed out the scarf and folded the gloves; it was like he was laying
'em away in a drawer.

We didn't enjoy nothing much to eat, not even ham and aigs. It begun to
get dark right soon after that and I sort of wandered out on the front
walk to look around. Old Man Wright was in the house by hisself.

Right then I seen a car come in right fast and pull up at the sidewalk
about halfway between our house and the Wisners'. Someone got out of the
car and come running up our walk. I could see it was a woman. Not
wishing no one to be bothered then, I went down to meet her.

It was Bonnie Bell! She'd come home then.

I run down the walk to meet her and pushed her away. I knew it wouldn't
do for them two to meet now. But she run up and put her arms around my
neck. She was alone, though there was someone in the car that hadn't got
out.

"Curly!" says she, "Curly! I saw you standing there and I came in. Where
is he, Curly?"

I nods behind me.

"In there," says I. "Don't go in--you mustn't."

"I must, sometime. Let me go now."

"No you don't," says I. "You can't. It's too late."

"Too late? Too late? Why, what do you mean, Curly? I've--I've come back!
I want to see my dad!