nterested him very
deeply. He did not find that he liked Melanctha when he saw her so
much, any better. He never found that he thought much about Melanctha.
He never found that he believed much in her having a good mind, like
Jane Harden. He found he liked Jane Harden always better, and that he
wished very much that she had never begun that bad drinking.

Melanctha Herbert's mother was now always getting sicker. Melanctha
really did everything that any woman could. Melanctha's mother never
liked her daughter any better. She never said much, did 'Mis' Herbert,
but anybody could see that she did not think much of this daughter.

Dr. Campbell now often had to stay a long time to take care of 'Mis'
Herbert. One day 'Mis' Herbert was much sicker and Dr. Campbell
thought that this night, she would surely die. He came back late to
the house, as he had said he would, to sit up and watch 'Mis' Herbert,
and to help Melanctha, if she should need anybody to be with her.
Melanctha Herbert and Jeff Campbell sat up all that night together.
'Mis' Herbert did not die. The next day she was a little better.

This house where Melanctha had always lived with her mother was a
little red brick, two story house. They had not much furniture to fill
it and some of the windows were broken and not mended. Melanctha did
not have much money to use now on the house, but with a colored woman,
who was their neighbor and good natured and who had always helped
them, Melanctha managed to take care of her mother and to keep the
house fairly clean and neat.

Melanctha's mother was in bed in a room upstairs, and the steps from
below led right up into it. There were just two rooms on this upstairs
floor. Melanctha and Dr. Campbell sat down on the steps, that night
they watched together, so that they could hear and see Melanctha's
mother and yet the light would be shaded, and they could sit and
read, if they wanted to, and talk low some, and yet not disturb 'Mis'
Herbert.

Dr. Campbell was always very fond of reading. Dr. Campbell had not
brought a book with him that night. He had just forgotten it. He had
meant to put something in his pocket to read, so that he could amuse
himself, while he was sitting there and watching. When he was through
with taking care of 'Mis' Herbert, he came and sat down on the steps
just above where Melanctha was sitting. He spoke about how he had
forgotten to bring his book with him. Melanctha said there were some
old papers