y
away from his ominous finger.

"Yes, I'll try--Jim. I'll try--`UNTIL DEATH DO US PART--UNTIL
DEATH--UNTIL DEATH----'"

Her voice broke into a flood of tears as she blindly felt her way
through the door and into the darkened room.

He paused on the threshold, held the creaking board shutter in his hand
and broke into a laugh.

"The world ain't big enough for you to get away from me, Kiddo. Good
night--a good little wife now and it's all right!"

CHAPTER XVIII. TO THE NEW GOD

Jim closed the door of the little shed-room with a bang, and stood
listening a moment to the sobs inside.

"`UNTIL DEATH DO US PART,' Kiddo!" he laughed grimly.

He turned back into the room and saw Nance standing at the opposite
entrance between the calico curtains, an old, battered, flickering
lantern in her hand. A white wool shawl was thrown over the gray head
and fell in long, filmy waves about her thin figure. Her deep-sunken
eyes were exaggerated in the dim light of lantern and candle. She smiled
wanly.

He stopped short at the apparition; a queer shiver of superstitious fear
shook him. The white form of Death suddenly and noiselessly appearing
from the darkness could not have been more uncanny. He had wondered
vaguely while the quarrel with his wife was progressing, what had become
of his mother. As the fight had reached its height, he had forgotten
her.

She looked at him, blinking her eyes and trying to smile.

"Where the devil have you been, old gal?" he asked nervously.

"Nowhere," she answered evasively.

"You've been mighty quiet on the trip anyhow. I see you've brought
something back from nowhere."

Nance glanced down at the jug she carried in her left hand and laughed.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothin'----"

"Nothin' from nowhere sounds pretty good to me when I see it in a brown
jug on Christmas Eve. You're all right, old gal! I was just going to
ask if you had a little mountain dew. You're a mind reader. I'll bet the
warehouse you keep that stored in is some snug harbor--eh?"

"They ain't never found it yit!" she giggled.

"And I'll bet they won't--bully for you!"

She took down a tin cup from a shelf and placed it beside the jug.

"Another glass, sweetheart----"

The old woman stared at him in surprise, walked to the shelf and brought
another tin cup.

"What do ye want with two?" she asked in surprise.

Jim moved toward the stool beside the table.

"Sit down."

"Me?"

"Sure. Let's be s