ut of us both in
that way, without it being noticed; or if I missed you, the others would
hang YOU--ez they kalkilated to--for killing ME! The idea kem to him
when he overheard you hintin' you wouldn't return my fire."

A shuddering conviction that McKinstry had divined the real truth
passed over the master. In the impulse of the moment he again would have
corroborated it by revealing Johnny's story, but a glance at the growing
feverishness of the wounded man checked his utterance. "Don't talk of it
now," he said hurriedly. "Enough for me to know that you acquit ME. I
am here now only to beg you to compose yourself until the doctor comes
back--as you seemed to be alone, and Mrs. McKinstry"--he stopped in
awkward embarrassment.

A singular confusion overspread the invalid's face. "She hed steppt out
afore this happened, owin' to contrairy opinions betwixt me and her. Ye
mout hev noticed, Mr. Ford, that gin'rally she didn't 'pear to cotton to
ye! Thar ain't a woman a goin' ez is the ekal of Blair Rawlins' darter
in nussin' a man and keeping him in fightin' order, but in matters like
things that consarn herself and Cress, I begin to think, Mr. Ford,
that somehow, she ain't exakly--kam! Bein' kam yourself, ye'll put any
unpleasantness down to that. Wotever you hear from HER, and, for
the matter o' that, from her own darter too--for I'm takin' back
the foolishness I said to ye over yon about your runnin' off with
Cress--you'll remember, Mr. Ford, it warn't from no ill feeling to YOU,
in her or Cress--but on'y a want of kam! I mout hev had MY idees about
Cress, you mout hev had YOURS, and that fool Dabney mout hev had HIS;
but it warn't the old woman's--nor Cressy's--it warn't Blair Rawlins'
darter's idea--nor yet HER darter's! And why? For want o' kam! Times
I reckon it was left out o' woman's nater. And bein' kam yourself, you
understand it, and take it all in."

The old look of drowsy pain had settled so strongly in his red eyes
again that the master was fain to put his hand gently over them, and
with a faint smile beg him to compose himself to sleep. This he finally
did after a whispered suggestion that he himself was feeling "more kam."
The master sat for some moments with his hand upon the sleeping man's
eyes, and a vague and undefinable sense of loneliness seemed to fall
upon him from the empty rafters of the silent and deserted house. The
rising wind moaned fitfully around its bleak shell with the despairing
sound