out limit.

She showed him how much she and Jane had accomplished, how neat and
clean they had kept the rows of growing vegetables, and how good the
promise was for an indefinite number of dinners, but she only added to
the farmer's depression. He was in no mood for onions, parsnips, and
their vegetable kin, yet thought, "She thinks I'm only capable of being
interested in such things, and I've been at much pains to give that
impression. She picked that rose for HERSELF, and now she's showing ME
how soon we may hope to have summer cabbage and squash. She thus shows
that she knows the difference between us and that always must be
between us, I fear. She is so near in our daily life, yet how can I
ever get any nearer? As I feel now, it seems impossible."

She had quickly observed his depressed, abstracted manner, but
misinterpreted the causes. Her own face clouded and grew troubled.
Perhaps she was revealing too much of her heart, although seeking to
disguise it so sedulously, and he was penetrating her motives for doing
so much in the garden and in luring him thither now. He was not
showing much practical interest in beans and beets, and was evidently
oppressed and ill at ease.

"I hope we have done things right?" she ventured, turning away to hide
tears of disappointment.

"Her self-sacrifice is giving out," he thought bitterly. "She finds
she can scarcely look at me as I now appear in contrast with this June
evening. Well, I don't blame her. It makes me almost sick when I
think of myself and I won't be brute enough to say a harsh word to
her." "You have done it all far better than I could," he said
emphatically. "I would not have believed it if you hadn't shown me.
The trouble is, you are trying to do too much. I--I think I'll take a
walk."

In fact, he had reached the limit of endurance; he could not look upon
her another moment as she appeared that evening and feel that she
associated him chiefly with crops and business, and that all her
grateful good will could not prevent his personality from being
disagreeable. He must carry his bitterness whither no eye could see
him, and as he turned, his self-disgust led him to whirl away his pipe.
It struck a tree and fell shattered at its foot. Alida had never seen
him do anything of the kind before, and it indicated that he was
passing beyond the limits of patience. "Oh, oh," she sobbed, "I fear we
are going to drift apart! If he can't endure to talk with m