"Yes," she said quietly, "all soul alone. I run out with him, same as I always have. I run up there. I found the road all broke out. I wa'n't surprised. I knew you'd do it. That is, I'd ha' known it if I'd thought anything about it. An' I found the key an' started the fire. An' then I knew I'd got to see you this night, an' I put him on the lounge an' set chairs so's he wouldn't fall out, an' packed him round with pillers, an' locked him in an' left him."
She paused and Raven nodded at her as if he wanted to find it as simple as it seemed to her.
"You see, I couldn't bring him down here," she said. "He might cry. An' there's Charlotte. An' Jerry. An' the young man. I'm sorry the young man see me. That's too bad."
"It's all right," said Raven briefly, though he was aware it was, from Dick's present point of view, all wrong. "I'll attend to that."
"He's safe enough," said Tira, her eyes darkening as she recurred to the baby. "If he cries, 'twon't do no hurt up there. Well!" She seemed to remind herself that there was much to say. "I must be gittin' along with my story." She looked at him in a most moving wistfulness, and added: "I got scared."
XXXII
Raven gave his answering nod. That seemed to be about all he could respond with, in his danger of saying the rash thing.
"Yes," he said, "scared. Same way?"
"No," she said. "Worse. I guess I never've been so scared. An' I've got myself to thank. You see, last night——"