ete silence settled down upon the room, with
only the ticking of the clock on the mantel. It was dark and cool and
sweet-smelling, a sort of "goodsy" smell. A blue-bottle fly began to
buzz and bump against the glass of the window and now and then he
would circle about the room, filling its silence with his droning. The
sunlight came creeping slowly across the rag carpet, a widening orange
pool, as the sun slipped around to the westward. Mary Louise could see
the edge of it without turning her head. She felt suddenly guilty, as
though she were in some way parading in false colours. There was an
impenetrableness in the reserve.

"I just couldn't stand it any longer," she burst out. "I want to be
with my people and stay with my people, and look after you and live my
life as it was intended." Somehow it was not exactly what she wanted
to say, not the whole truth, but as if in explanation she began to
stroke her aunt's knee very softly.

"What do you plan to do?" Miss Susie looked up again and there was the
same old look of withered sharpness. "There's nothing in Bloomfield,
you know."

"Oh, I know. Nothing, if you mean opportunity. But everything in the
way of living. We'll just rock along. I'll find something to do.
Something to keep me out of mischief," she laughed. "Mr. Orpell ought
to have somebody in his drug store. His soft-drink counter is
atrocious. Then I can make preserves and sell 'em. I know where I can
sell a lot--in the city. I just don't want to think--just rest a bit
and let this blessed peace get a good hold of me again." Her voice
rose sharp and eager and Miss Susie smiled a quizzical smile and the
old order was again restored. A door slammed and Landy's voice came to
them, this time in a wailing gospel hymn, and Mary Louise sprang to
her feet. "I'll have to go get Zeke Thompson and have him fetch my
trunk. There was nobody to bring it over from Guests and I didn't
want to wait to hunt for someone."

She skipped over to the table and picked up her hat again. Already she
felt better--warmed and comforted. She paused for a moment, standing
in front of Miss Susie, looking down at her as she sat there knitting
placidly away with the fine firm lines about her mouth. "You won't
mind if I go with him, will you? There's an excess baggage charge that
I can't trust Zeke with, and I'll not be long."

"No, of course not. Since when have I been that I couldn't be left
alone?" But she smiled and Mary Louise, rushi