t on her."

Her work momentarily neglected, Rhody was making little reminiscent
stabs at space with her needle as she spoke.

"'T wuz seven years ago. M'ri wuz twenty-eight and Mart ten years
older. It would hev ben a match as sure as preachin', but Eliza died
and M'ri, she done her duty as she seen it. Sometimes I think folks is
near-sighted about their duty. There is others as is queer-sighted.
Bein' crossed hain't spiled M'ri though. She's kep' sweet through it
all, but when a man don't git his own way, he's apt to curdle. Mart
got sort of tart-tongued and cold feelin'. There wa'n't no reason why
they couldn't a kep' on bein' friends, but Mart must go and make a
fool vow that he'd never speak to M'ri until she sent him word she'd
changed her mind, so he hez ben a-spitin' of his face ever sence. It's
wonderful how some folks do git in their own way, but, my sakes, I
must git to work so you kin take this waist home."

This was David's first glimpse of a romance outside of story-books,
but the name of Martin Thorne evoked disturbing memories. Six years
ago he had acted as attorney to David's father in settling his
financial difficulties, and later, after Peter Dunne's death, the
Judge had settled the small estate. It was only through his efforts
that they were enabled to have the smallest of roofs over their
defenseless heads.

"Miss Rhody," he asked after a long meditation on life in general,
"why didn't you ever marry?"

Miss Rhody paused again in her work, and two little spots of red crept
into her cheeks.

"'Tain't from ch'ice I've lived single, David. I've ben able to take
keer of myself, but I allers hed a hankerin' same as any woman, as is
a woman, hez fer a man, but I never got no chanst to meet men folks. I
wuz raised here, and folks allers hed it all cut out fer me to be an
old maid. When a woman onct gets that name fixt on her, it's all off
with her chances. No man ever comes nigh her, and she can't git out of
her single rut. I never could get to go nowhars, and I wa'n't that
bold kind that makes up to a man fust, afore he gives a sign."

David pondered over this wistful revelation for a few moments, seeking
a means for her seemingly hopeless escape from a life of single
blessedness, for David was a sympathetic young altruist, and felt it
incumbent upon him to lift the burdens of his neighbors. Then he
suggested encouragingly:

"Miss Rhody, did you know that there was a paper that gets you
acquaint