n' "_All flesh
is grass, and the grass withereth_"'--his voice quivered and broke
again--'an' onct I heard my old mother say them very words when she was
a-dyin', more'n forty year ago, in the old country. An' Addie's dyin'
fast, Tom; dyin', an' I can't say a prayer with her; I don't know none.
I'm only a drunken old shellback, an' I ought to be struck dead for my
bloody sins. She's all I has in the world to love; an' now, an' now--'
He turned away and, covering his face with his coarse, sunburnt hands,
sobbed like a child.

* * * * *

Half an hour later Wallis and Lita were in the room with the dying girl.
Ransom, shambling behind them, crept in and knelt at the foot of the
bed. Two native women, who were squatted on the matted floor went
out softly, and Wallis bent over the girl and looked into her pallid,
twitching face, over which the dread grey shadow was creeping fast. She
put out her hand to the trader and Lita, and a faint smile moved her
lips.

'You is good to come, Tom Wallis,' she said, in her childish voice, 'an'
so is you, Lita. Wher' is my fath'? I don' see him. I was ask him to
bring Ioane here to pray fo' me. I _can't_ pray myself.... I _have_ been
try.... Wher' is you, fath'?'

Ransom crept round to her side, and laid his face upon her open hand.

'Ah, fath', you is come... poor fath'. I say, fath', _don_ you drink no
more. You been promise me that, fath', so many time. _Don'_ you break
yo' promise now, will you?'

The grizzled old sinner put his trembling lips to hers. 'Never no more,
Addie--may God strike me dead if I lie!'

'Come away, old man,' said Wallis, softly, 'let Lita be with her.
Neither you nor I should disturb her just now. See, she wants Lita. But
her time is near, and you must keep close to her.'

They drew apart, and Lita knelt beside the bed.

* * * * *

'An' did he pray for fath', an' me, an' you, an' Tom, an' my mother who
runned away? Tell me all 'bout it, Lita. I _did_ wan' him to come and
tell me some things I wan' to know before I is dead. Tell me what he
say.'

'He say dat vers', "De grass with', de flow' fade, but de word of de
Lor' God endure fo' ev.'"'

'Was do it mean, Lita, dear?'

'I don' 'xactly know, Ati, dear. But Tom say he mean dat by-an'-by, if
we is good an' don' lie an' steal, an' don' kill nobody, dat we all go
to heav' when we is die.'

'Lita, dear, Ioane say one day dat de Bible s