h me, I bein' older'n him; but he didn't know it and from the time
she was born he'd just about worshiped that baby. When she was dying
Mehitabel made him promise, and a Friend's promise is as good as
another man's oath, 't he'd always take care of little Leah and love
her better'n anybody in the world. That nobody, even if he should grow
up and marry and have children of his own, should ever come betwixt
her and him. Well, 'twas a good spell before he found out 't he was
brother to a fool. That's plain speech but I'm a Quaker. When he did
find out, 'twas a'most more'n he could bear. He give out to anybody
that asked, how 't she was sickly and had to be kept private.

"Elisabeth Calvert, she _has_ been kept private, all her life long,
till I let out the secret. He and Dorcas and me, and the children
while they lived at the farm, we was the only ones ever had to do with
care of her or saw her even. I worked on for him, he makin' the money,
I gettin' shorter wages each year, besides him investin' 'em for me as
he pleased.

"But I'm old. I want a home of my own; and lately I've been pestering
him to let me go. He'd always make excuse and talk plausible how 't he
couldn't spare me nohow. I knew he told the truth, since if I left
he'd have to get in strange help and it might get out 't his sister's
sickness was plain want of brains. That'd have nigh killed him, he's
so proud; to be pointed at as 'Oliver Sands, that's brother to a
fool'."

"Well, well. This is exceedingly painful to hear, but to what does it
tend?" asked Mrs. Calvert.

"Just this, Elisabeth. One day I got nursin' my wrongs and forgettin'
my blessings, and the devil was on hand to give me the chance. Dorcas
was off nursing a sick neighbor, Oliver was to Newburgh on some Fair
business, and there wasn't nobody in the house but me and Leah. I took
an old horse and wagon, 't he'd been meaning to sell, to the
sales-stable at the Landing; and I coaxed Leah to come take a ride.
She come ready enough. She didn't have much fun, anyway, except
sitting with him in the office such times as he was lookin' over his
accounts and reckonin' his money. She liked that. She always liked to
handle money. That proved her a Sands, even if she was imbecile!

"Thinks I, I'll break his pride. I'll make him know 't he ain't no
better than other folks, even if he does speak in meeting. I meant to
carry her clear to the Landing and let things take their chance while
I cleared out fo