en seen with her lantern, at her son's
grave. Whenever she met one of Landolin's family, she stopped and
stared at them. She never returned their greeting, and always went out
of her way to avoid Landolin himself.

Landolin's wife and Thoma had both taken great pains, personally and
through friends, to help Cushion-Kate, but she refused everything.

"I will not be bought off by the murderer Landolin," was her invariable
answer. She gathered grain in every field except Landolin's. Once, when
crossing the bridge, on her way to the mill with her gleanings, she met
him on horseback. She sprang before the horse, and cried: "Get off and
drown yourself, you murderer! Ride on! Drive on! Whether you ride or
drive, you carry your hell around with you! Get off and drown
yourself!"

"Are you done? Then step out of my way," said Landolin, calmly. But as
the old woman still clung to the horse's bridle, he cried angrily:

"Let go, or I'll let you feel my whip or set Racker at you!"

The dog understood his master's words. He set his paws on the woman's
shoulders, and snapped at her red kerchief. She stepped back. Landolin
made Racker drop the kerchief, and then rode on without a look at the
old woman, who picked up her sack of wheat again. At home he did not
mention the occurrence.

CHAPTER LV.

It is unfortunate, as every one knows, when two horses hitched to the
same wagon fail to pull evenly together. But no one can suppose that it
is from malicious intention, and either horse might complain that it
was all the fault of the other, and that it was only from a surly
delight in obstinacy that he didn't put himself to the harness, and so
pull the wagon along. But with two persons it is quite different;
especially with those who have before pulled so well together as Peter
and Tobias. The latter had of course noticed Peter's imperiousness and
malignity; but he did not understand it, nor ask the reason for it, for
he really gave the matter very little thought. This was no time for
bickering and contentions as to which should outrank the other. Tobias
thought to himself, "Only wait till after the harvest; then we'll have
threshing-time." Peter likewise thought, "Only wait till the harvest is
over; then I'll draw my hand over the measure and level it off." Tobias
smilingly allowed Peter to give orders; he even scarcely looked up when
Peter countermanded those which he had himself given to the ser