she said, pointing to the step at her feet where Thryng had sat only a few days before to make out the lease of their land. Everything seemed to cry out to her of him to-night, but she must steel her heart against the thought.

“I’m going to talk to you straight, just what I mean, Frale. You’ve been talking as you pleased in there, and I ‘lowed you to, I was that set back. Anyway, I’d rather talk to you alone. Frale, our promise was made before God, and you know I will keep to mine. But you must keep to yours, too. Listen at me. Mrs. Towers wrote me you had been drunk twice. Is that keeping your promise to leave whiskey alone? Is it, Frale?”

“You have somebody down thar watchin’ me, an’ I hain’t nobody a-watchin’ you,”