she knew he never had loved any kind of woman like
he loved her. Melanctha would wear the ring a little while, and then
they would have some more trouble, and then she would say to him, no
she certainly never would any more wear anything he gave her, and then
she would wear it on the string so nobody could see it but she could
always feel it on her.

Poor Melanctha, surely her love had made her mad and foolish.

And now Melanctha needed always more and more to be with Rose Johnson,
and Rose had commenced again to advise her, but Rose could not help
her. There was no way now that anybody could advise her. The time when
Melanctha could have changed it with Jem Richards was now all past
for her. Rose knew it, and Melanctha too, she knew it, and it almost
killed her to let herself believe it.

The only comfort Melanctha ever had now was waiting on Rose till
she was so tired she could hardly stand it. Always Melanctha did
everything Rose ever wanted. Sam Johnson began now to be very gentle
and a little tender to Melanctha. She was so good to Rose and Sam was
so glad to have her there to help Rose and to do things and to be a
comfort to her.

Rose had a hard time to bring her baby to its birth and Melanctha did
everything that any woman could.

The baby though it was healthy after it was born did not live long.
Rose Johnson was careless and negligent and selfish and when Melanctha
had to leave for a few days the baby died. Rose Johnson had liked her
baby well enough and perhaps she just forgot it for a while, anyway
the child was dead and Rose and Sam were very sorry, but then these
things came so often in the negro world in Bridgepoint that they
neither of them thought about it very long. When Rose had become
strong again she went back to her house with Sam. And Sam Johnson was
always now very gentle and kind and good to Melanctha who had been so
good to Rose in her bad trouble.

Melanctha Herbert's troubles with Jem Richards were never getting any
better. Jem always now had less and less time to be with her. When
Jem was with Melanctha now he was good enough to her. Jem Richards was
worried with his betting. Never since Jem had first begun to make a
living had he ever had so much trouble for such a long time together
with his betting. Jem Richards was good enough now to Melanctha but he
had not much strength to give her. Melanctha could never any more now
make him quarrel with her. Melanctha never now could complain