oor.

"It's all done," she said. "Gib me de chile, Mars De Willerby, and go in
an' look at her."

* * * * *

When he entered the little square living room, Tom paused at the foot of
the bed. All was straight and neat and cold. Among the few articles in
the one small trunk, the woman had found a simple white dress and had put
it on the dead girl. It was such a garment as almost every girl counts
among her possessions. Tom remembered that his sisters had often worn
such things.

"She looks very pretty," he said. "I dare say her mother made it and she
wore it at home. O Lord! O Lord!" And with this helpless exclamation,
half sigh, half groan, he turned away and walked out of the front door
into the open air.

It was early morning by this time, and he passed into the dew and
sunlight not knowing where he was going; but once outside, the sight of
his horse tethered to a tree at the roadside brought to his mind the
necessity of the occasion.

"I'll ride in and see Steven," he said. "It's got to be done, and it's no
work for _him_!"

When he reached the Cross-roads there were already two or three early
arrivals lounging on the store-porch and wondering why the doors were not
opened.

The first man who saw him, opened upon him the usual course of
elephantine witticisms.

"Look a yere, Tom," he drawled, "this ain't a-gwine to do. You a-gittin'
up 'fore daybreak like the rest of us folks and ridin' off Goddlemighty
knows whar. It ain't a-gwine to do now. Whar air ye from?"

But as he rode up and dismounted at the porch, each saw that something
unusual had happened. He tied his horse and came up the steps in silence.

"Boys," he said, when he stood among them, "I want Steven. I've been out
to the Hollow, and there's a job for him there. The--the woman's dead."

"Dead!" they echoed, drawing nearer to him in their excitement. "When,
Tom?"

"Last night. Mornin's out there. There's a child."

"Thunder 'n' molasses!" ejaculated the only family man of the group,
reflectively. "Thunder 'n' molasses!" And then he began to edge away,
still with a reflective air, towards his mule.

"Boys," he explained, "there'd ought to be some women folks around. I'm
gwine for Minty, and she'll start the rest on 'em. Women folks is what's
needed. They kin kinder organize things whar thar's trouble."

"Well," said Tom, "perhaps you're right; but don't send too many of 'em,
and let your wife t