er," said Mrs. Ray.

"I think it's your place to, seeing as 'twas your Ezra that knew
about it," returned the doctor's wife. Her voice sounded like the hum
of a bee, being full of husky vibrations; her double chin sank into
her broad heaving bosom, folded over with white plaided muslin.

"Seems to me it belongs to you, as long as you're the doctor's wife,"
said Mrs. Ray. She was very small and lean beside the soft bulk of
the other woman, but there was a sort of mental uplifting about her
which made her unconscious of it. Mrs. Ray had never considered
herself a small woman; she seemed always to see the tops of other
women's heads.

The doctor's wife looked at her dubiously, panting softly all over
her great body. It was a warm afternoon. The low red and white
rose-bushes sprayed all around the step-stone, and they were full of
roses. The doctor's wife raised the brass knocker. "Well, I'd just as
lieves," said she, resignedly. "She'd ought to be told, anyway; the
doctor said so." The knocker fell with a clang of brass.

Deborah opened the door at once. "Good-afternoon," said she.

"We thought we'd come over a few minutes, it's so pleasant this
afternoon," said the doctor's wife.

"Walk in," said Deborah. She aided them in through the kitchen to the
north parlor. She always entertained guests there on warm afternoons.

The north parlor was very cool and dark; the curtains were down, and
undulated softly like sails. Deborah placed the big haircloth
rocking-chair for the doctor's wife, and Mrs. Ray sat down on the
sofa.

There was a silence. The doctor's wife flushed red. Mrs. Ray's sharp
face was imperturbable. Deborah, sitting erect in one of her best
flag-bottomed chairs, looked as if she were alone in the room.

The doctor's wife cleared her throat. "Mis' Thayer," she began.

Deborah looked at her with calm expectation.

"Mis' Thayer," said the doctor's wife, "Mis' Ray and I thought we
ought to come over here this afternoon. Mis' Ray heard something last
night, an' she came over an' told the doctor, an' he said you ought
to know--"

The doctor's wife paused, panting. Then the door opened and Caleb
peered in. He bowed stiffly to the two guests; then, with
apprehensive glances at his wife, slid into a chair near the door.

"Mis' Ray's Ezra told her last night," proceeded the doctor's wife,
"that the night before your son died he run away unbeknown to you,
an' went slidin' down hill. The doctor says mebbe t