g hand on his shoulder; at other times,
with a corner of her apron she tenderly wiped the eyes and noses of all
the children within reach. And when, later, the preacher referred
solemnly and unblinkingly to the fact that Emmeline's offsprings had now
fell into the hands of a step-maw, and it behooved her to remember that
she must one day give account to the God of widows and orphans, she
bowed her head very humbly, and seemed to be at once overwhelmed and
uplifted by the thought of her responsibility. Her face was really
wonderful and beautiful, and in it I saw far more hope for the happiness
of Emmeline's offsprings than in that of the "widow." In both wives he
appears to have received more than his deserts.

The whole scene--the lonely mountain-shoulder, the weather-beaten
grave-houses, the isolated little home below, the reds and yellows of
the forest fading after a night of heavy frost, the ancient spectacle of
human bereavement and sorrow with nothing to relieve it save the look on
Mary's face--went to my heart till the tears came.

At four o'clock, having heard five preachers and several funeral songs,
we took our departure. The occasion was to last all day Sunday, too. I,
however, besought Mrs. Salyer to let the boys have one day at home, and
at last gained her consent; and when we were once more in bed, and
conversation had languished, and Ponto was thumping the floor with his
tail again, Keats raised his head from the pillow to murmur, sleepily,
but rapturously "Gee-oh,--a whole 'nother day at home to-morrow!"

On our arrival at the school to-night after dark, I heard that Nucky had
left Friday in spite of my commands, and had not yet returned.

XV

TROUBLE ON TRIGGER AND ELSEWHERE

_First Monday, November._

About ten this morning, Nucky came silently into the cottage, got his
books, and was starting to the school-house, when I called him into my
room.

"Did you go home?" I asked.

"Yes."

"And did Blant send you back?"

"Yes," he said. Then suddenly he flung the books on the floor and burst
into furious weeping. "He run me off," he said; "and now there haint
nobody to keep lookout for him, and I know he'll be kilt! If I was
strong as him, I'd show him whether he could run me off!"

(I judge that Blant had to resort to severe measures before prevailing
upon him to return.)

"When did he send you back?"

"Saturday."

"Where have you been since then?"

"Laying out in the high r