e the dishes, so she and I did up the dishes while
Mrs. O'Shaughnessy and Elizabeth put some finishing stitches in on
their aprons. She sat on the highest seat we could find, and as she
deftly handled the dishes she told us this:--

"I should think you would wonder why Danyul ain't got me out of the
porehouse before now. I've been there more 'n ten years, but Danyul
didn't know it till a month ago. Charlotte Nash wrote him. Neither
Danyul nor me are any master-hand at writin', and then I didn't want
him to know anyhow. When Danyul got into trouble, I signed over the
little farm his pa left us, to pay the lawyer person to defend him.
Danyul had enough trouble, so he went to the penitentiary without
finding out I was homeless. I should think you would be put out to
know Danyul has been to the pen, but he has. He always said to me that
he never done what he was accused of, so I am not going to tell you
what it was. Danyul was always a good boy, honest and good to me and
a hard worker. I ain't got no call to doubt him when he says he's
innocent.

"Well, I fought his case the best I could, but he got ten years. Then
the lawyer person claimed the home an' all, so I went out to work, but
bein' crippled I found it hard. When Danyul had been gone four years I
had saved enough to buy my brown alapacky and go to see him. He looked
pale and sad,--afraid even to speak to his own mother. I went back to
work as broke up as Danyul, and that winter I come down with such a
long spell of sickness that they sent me to the pore farm. I always
wrote to Danyul on his birthday and I couldn't bear to let him know
where I was.

"Soon's his time was out, he come here; he couldn't bear the scorn
that he'd get at home, so he come out to this big, free West, and took
the chance it offers. Once he wrote and asked me if I would like to
live West. He said if I did, after he got a start I must sell out and
come to him. Bless his heart, all that time I was going to my meals
just when I was told to and eatin' just what I was helped to, going to
bed and getting up at some one else's word! Oh, it was bitter, but I
didn't want Danyul to taste it; so, when I didn't come, he thought I
didn't want to give up the old home, and didn't say no more about it.
Charlotte was on the pore farm too, until her cousin died and she got
left a home and enough to live on. Sometimes she would come out to the
farm and take me back with her for a little visit. She was good th