They were preparing to depart and to enter
thatworld which he had left. One day, coming home at noon, they found Ruth in a
taking.
Abe Spalding,they said, had lost his grip. They
were preparing to depart and to enter thatworld which he had left. On the trail
south of the farm Jim speeded up.
Looked straight at me andstopped, laughing. The car
swinging out, Abe looked gloomily after it.
Abe, following up a half-maturedthought, said at
once, Id like to see her for a moment.
When Frances appeared, she looked apprehensive. He
did not cross the yardbut looked at the family picture before him.
Surely you dont believe the girl has been
seduced?
If she is innocent, it is a revelation
toher.
For a few minutes, Abe walking up and down, there
was the silenceusual between them.
With flax closeto six dollars a bushel, something
spectacular was expected tohappen. But she was advanced in a way which he could not
havedefined. SinceCharlies death he had not used a slang word. Then, contemptuously,
Looks like a pluckedchicken.
Theyconduct correspondences of which they keep
their parents inignorance.
Abe, following up a half-maturedthought, said at
once, Id like to see her for a moment. Oftenshe felt excessively tired; and that
made her ill-humoured.
The train was slowing down to go into the
siding.
Ruth sat at the far end in one of the
straight-backedchairs, sewing. The conversation of the men turned to theschool.
Henry Topp jumped like a clown in a circus.
Surely you dont believe the girl has been
seduced?
Your note isnt worth the paper its writtenon. Go to
the school and annihilate it with allit contained?
His eyes hadlearned to interpret the smallest
trifles at great distances.
And, indeed, the machine looked high-legged and
naked. But Agnesis cuckooed about him since he took her to a dance last
week.
Wheeldon, Henry Topp, and others plunged to
aruinous extent.
And there I saw your girl in the cab of the engine,
sittingon the knees of the engineer. SinceCharlies death he had not used a slang
word. Horanski, he shouted after him, havent you flax ofyour own? But if Jimand
Frances are to go, they will go to Morley.
Unless you feel it, I cannot explain, Abe
replied.
One day Abe, suspending the ploughing on the
fallow, told Jim atnoon to get the buggy ready. Again little bursts of laughterbroke
from her lips, revealing strong ivory teeth.