so dear and familiar, as if she were
taking a final farewell of a friend. Then she turned to the homely
kitchen to which she had first been brought. "I can do a little more
for him," she thought, "before I make the last sacrifice which will
soon bring the end. I think I could have lived--lived, perhaps, till I
was old, if I had gone among strangers from the almshouse, but I can't
now. My heart is broken. Now that I've seen that man again I
understand why my husband cannot love me. Even the thought of touching
me must make him shudder. But I can't bear up under such a load much
longer, and that's my comfort. It's best I should go away now; I
couldn't do otherwise," and the tragedy went on in her soul as she
feebly prepared her husband's meal.

At last Jane came in with her basket of peas. Her face was so
impassive as to suggest that she had no knowledge of anything except
that there had been a visitor, and Alida had sunk into such depths of
despairing sorrow that she scarcely noticed the child.

Chapter XXXIII.

"Shrink from YOU?"

Holcroft soon came driving slowly up the lane as if nothing unusual was
on his mind. Having tied his horses, he brought in an armful of
bundles and said kindly, "Well, Alida, here I am again, and I guess
I've brought enough to last well through haying time."

"Yes," she replied with averted face. This did not trouble him any
now, but her extreme pallor did and he added, "You don't look well. I
wouldn't mind getting much supper tonight. Let Jane do the work."

"I'd rather do it," she replied.

"Oh, well!" laughing pleasantly, "you shall have your own way. Who has
a better right than you, I'd like to know?"

"Don't speak that way," she said, almost harshly, under the tension of
her feelings. "I--I can't stand it. Speak and look as you did before
you went away."

"Jane," said the farmer, "go and gather the eggs."

As soon as they were alone, he began gently, "Alida--"

"Please don't speak so to me today. I've endured all I can. I can't
keep up another minute unless you let things go on as they were.
Tomorrow I'll try to tell you all. It's your right."

"I didn't mean to say anything myself till after supper, and perhaps
not till tomorrow, but I think I'd better. It will be better for us
both, and our minds will be more at rest. Come with me into the
parlor, Alida."

"Well, perhaps the sooner it's over the better," she said faintly and
huskily.

She sunk on