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frame and thinking of the time when she would live in a colonial home near Lanesburg with children playing on the lawn—she interrupted her daydream to think, "Dear Christ, have mercy on poor Mr. Biggers and cure him from eating morphine."

Forenoon and afternoon danced by for the happy girl, and at seven-thirty she and Abner set out for church through the limpid evening. Already an irregular procession of people was moving through the streets toward the meeting house, for by now it was necessary to come early to get a seat at all.

Among the line of churchgoers Nessie saw Mrs. Biggers holding her husband's arm and vigorously directing his feeble steps. As usual she was putting so much energy into her directing that she was making it uncomfortable for the invalid at her side. Mr. Biggers himself looked a dozen years older than when Nessie had seen him on the previous Sunday. His face was pasty; he shook, and Nessie sensed by looking at him that this clear pleasant evening was a world of confusion to him. She recalled, with a little pang of self-reproach, her promise to pray for the sick man, for she had forgotten it in her own joys; and now she again murmured fervently, "O Christ, bless Mr. Biggers and take away his cravin' for morphine."

But the intimate pleasure of walking at Abner's side soon swallowed up her concern for anything else.

She pressed his big arm with her fingers and whispered "I borrowed that book from Mr. Sharp this evenin'."

"Did you?" in faint dismay.

"Yes; I have it in my room for you—don't you want to be a lawyer, Abner?"

The mere thought of reading a book depressed Abner.

"Why—yes"—he agreed dubiously, "I suppose so." He recalled Tug's stricture of the morning and glanced around at her. "You ain't ashamed of goin' with a teamster, are you, Nessie?"

Nessie stared in amazement. "Ashamed of you! Me!