nce."

"All right," answered Amelia. She took her seat again, while Enoch's
footsteps went briskly out through the shed. With the clanging of the
door, she felt secure. If she had to deal with Josiah Pease, she could
do it better alone, clutching at the certainty that was with her from of
old, that, if you could only keep your temper with cousin Josiah, you
had one chance of victory. Flame out at him, and you were lost. "Some
more potatoes?" asked she, with a deceptive calm.

"Don't care if I do," returned Josiah, selecting greedily, his fork
hovering in air. "Little mite watery, ain't they? Dig 'em yourself?"

"We dug 'em," said Amelia coldly.

Rosie stepped down from her chair, unnoticed. To Amelia, she was then no
bigger than some little winged thing flitting about the room in time of
tragedy. Our greatest emotions sometimes stay unnamed. At that moment,
Amelia was swayed by as tumultuous a love as ever animated damsel of
verse or story; but it merely seemed to her that she was an ill-used
woman, married to a man for whom she was called on to be ashamed. Rosie
tiptoed into the entry, put on her little shawl and hood, and stole out
to play in the corn-house. When domestic squalls were gathering, she
knew where to go. The great outdoors was safer. Her past had taught her
that.

"Don't like to eat with folks, does he? Well, it's all in what you're
brought up to."

Amelia was ready with her counter-charge. "Have some tea?"

She poured it as if it were poison, and Josiah became conscious of her
tragic self-control.

"You ain't eat a thing," said he, with an ostentatious kindliness. He
bent forward a little, with the air of inviting a confidence. "Got
suthin' on your mind, ain't you, 'Melia?" he whispered. "Kind o'
worried? Find he's a drinkin' man?"

Amelia was not to be beguiled, even by that anger which veils itself as
justice. She looked at him steadily, with scorching eyes.

"You ain't took any sugar," said she. "There 't is, settin' by you. Help
yourself."

Josiah addressed himself to his tea, and then Amelia poured him another
cup. She had some fierce satisfaction in making it good and strong. It
seemed to her that she was heartening her adversary for the fray, and
she took pleasure in doing it effectually. So great was the spirit
within her that she knew he could not be too valiant, for her keener joy
in laying him low. Then they rose from the table, and Josiah took his
old place by the stove, while A