why Melanctha had not come to meet him.
Jeff had heard a little talking now, about how Melanctha Herbert had
commenced once more to wander. Jeff Campbell still sometimes saw Jane
Harden, who always needed a doctor to be often there to help her. Jane
Harden always knew very well what happened to Melanctha. Jeff Campbell
never would talk to Jane Harden anything about Melanctha. Jeff was
always loyal to Melanctha. Jeff never let Jane Harden say much to him
about Melanctha, though he never let her know that now he loved her.
But somehow Jeff did know now about Melanctha, and he knew about some
men that Melanctha met with Rose Johnson very often.

Jeff Campbell would not let himself really doubt Melanctha, but Jeff
began to know now very well, he did not want her. Melanctha Herbert
did not love him ever, Jeff knew it now, the way he once had thought
that she could feel it. Once she had been greater for him than he had
thought he could ever know how to feel it. Now Jeff had come to where
he could understand Melanctha Herbert. Jeff was not bitter to her
because she could not really love him, he was bitter only that he had
let himself have a real illusion in him. He was a little bitter too,
that he had lost now, what he had always felt real in the world, that
had made it for him always full of beauty, and now he had not got this
new religion really, and he had lost what he before had to know what
was good and had real beauty.

Jeff Campbell was so angry now in him, because he had begged Melanctha
always to be honest to him. Jeff could stand it in her not to love
him, he could not stand it in her not to be honest to him.

Jeff Campbell went home from where Melanctha had not met him, and he
was sore and full of anger in him.

Jeff Campbell could not be sure what to do, to make it right inside
him. Surely he must be strong now and cast this loving from him,
and yet, was he sure he now had real wisdom in him. Was he sure that
Melanctha Herbert never had had a real deep loving for him. Was he
sure Melanctha Herbert never had deserved a reverence from him. Always
now Jeff had this torment in him, but always now he felt more that
Melanctha never had real greatness for him.

Jeff waited to see if Melanctha would send any word to him. Melanctha
Herbert never sent a line to him.

At last Jeff wrote his letter to Melanctha. "Dear Melanctha, I
certainly do know you ain't been any way sick this last week when you
never met me right