e rooting
in the yard. Louise did not hear me as I drove up, the wind was moaning
so distressfully among the dead plum bushes--she did not know that I was
on the place until I entered the room where she sat at the bedside of
her husband. She jumped up with a cry and----"

"Margaret, please don't."

"I must tell you, John. I will tell you. She jumped up with a cry and
ran to me, and started to take off my cloak, but remembering that there
was no fire in the damp room, she let it stay on. She tried to speak,
but couldn't. Her husband held out his waxen hand, and when I took it I
shuddered with the cold chill it sent through me."

"Margaret, I am going out," said the Major, turning toward the door.

"If you do, John, I will go with you and tell you as we walk along.
Please sit down."

He sat down with an air of helplessness. He fumbled with his fingers,
which seemed to have grown thicker; he moved his foot as if it were a
heavy weight. His wife continued: "In the room there was scarcely any
furniture, nothing to soften the appearance of bleakness. I asked why no
fire had been made, and Louise said that she had engaged a negro to cut
some wood, but that he had gone away. She had paid him in advance. She
would herself have kindled a fire, but there was no axe on the place,
and she was afraid to leave her husband long enough to go to the woods
to gather sticks. I went out and found the negro dozing in the sun. He
was impudent when I spoke to him, but when I told him my name and
threatened him with you, he scuffled to his feet and sauntered off, and
I thought that we should see no more of him, but soon we heard the lazy
strokes of his axe. And shortly afterward we had a fire. Louise was in
one of her silent moods, but Pennington talked as much as his cough
would permit him. He said that it was all his fault. 'I told her,' said
he, 'that unless she married me I would die blaspheming the name of God,
and that if she would save me from hell she must be my wife. I know that
it was selfish and mean, but I couldn't help it. And so she has married
me to save my soul.' He grew excited and I tried to calm him. I told him
that you were angry at first, but that now you were in a better humor
toward him."

"Margaret----"

"This appeared to help him, but I saw that Louise did not believe me.
However, I commanded her to come home and bring her husband with her.
But she shook her head and declared that she would never again enter
yo