"My, but you must be near froze, Jerry—Jerry, what's the matter?"
He did not kiss her nor speak a word, but walked heavily to the stove and stood warming his hands. She looked anxiously at his face and saw that it was set and heavy. The eyes had a glassy, inward stare.
"Jerry, what's wrong? Haow much did you git a paound?"
"Four cents."
"Four cents!" It was all she could say. She was speechless with astonishment and dismay.
"She dropped yestiddy. There wa'n't hardly no buyers there. The bottom fell out clean. If I'd a been one day earlier I'd a got nine or ten." His voice was dead and husky.
"Oh, Jerry, hain't it a shame! After all haow hard you worked an' slaved over that crop!"
"After all haow hard we both worked an' slaved," he corrected her harshly.
Suddenly he dropped to the floor beside her, and with his arms across her knees and his face laid upon his arms, broke into dry, convulsive sobs, harrowing to hear.