home without me. And your arm will be very
acceptable I am sure Major" I says to him "and I know she may lean upon
it as heavy as she likes." And now we had both got her--thanks be
Above!--one on each side.
She was all in a cold shiver and she so continued till I laid her on her
own bed, and up to the early morning she held me by the hand and moaned
and moaned "O wicked, wicked, wicked!" But when at last I made believe
to droop my head and be overpowered with a dead sleep, I heard that poor
young creature give such touching and such humble thanks for being
preserved from taking her own life in her madness that I thought I should
have cried my eyes out on the counterpane and I knew she was safe.
Being well enough to do and able to afford it, me and the Major laid our
little plans next day while she was asleep worn out, and so I says to her
as soon as I could do it nicely:
"Mrs. Edson my dear, when Mr. Edson paid me the rent for these farther
six months--"
She gave a start and I felt her large eyes look at me, but I went on with
it and with my needlework.
"--I can't say that I am quite sure I dated the receipt right. Could you
let me look at it?"
She laid her frozen cold hand upon mine and she looked through me when I
was forced to look up from my needlework, but I had taken the precaution
of having on my spectacles.
"I have no receipt" says she.
"Ah! Then he has got it" I says in a careless way. "It's of no great
consequence. A receipt's a receipt."
From that time she always had hold of my hand when I could spare it which
was generally only when I read to her, for of course she and me had our
bits of needlework to plod at and neither of us was very handy at those
little things, though I am still rather proud of my share in them too
considering. And though she took to all I read to her, I used to fancy
that next to what was taught upon the Mount she took most of all to His
gentle compassion for us poor women and to His young life and to how His
mother was proud of Him and treasured His sayings in her heart. She had
a grateful look in her eyes that never never never will be out of mine
until they are closed in my last sleep, and when I chanced to look at her
without thinking of it I would always meet that look, and she would often
offer me her trembling lip to kiss, much more like a little affectionate
half broken-hearted child than ever I can imagine any grown person.
One time the trembling
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