"'She's been as good as a right hand to me, Revercomb,' that was what he said, and he added, 'She's the salt of the earth, that's the only way to describe her.' And now, goodbye, Judy, I must be going back to work."
Without glancing round, he went at his rapid stride down the narrow walk to the whitewashed gate, which hung loose on broken hinges. In the road he came face to face with Jonathan Gay, who was riding leisurely in the direction of Jordan's Journey.
"How are you, Revercomb? All well?"
"Yes, all well, thank you." Turning in his tracks, he gazed thoughtfully after the rider for a moment.
"I wonder why he came out of his way instead of keeping to the turnpike?" he thought, and a minute later, "that's the third time he's come back since the family left Jordan's Journey."
CHAPTER II
THE DESIRE OF THE MOTH
At the gate before the Revercombs' house Blossom was standing in a dress of vivid blue.
"Are you going to a party?" Abel inquired as he reached her, and she answered impatiently:
"I promised to wear this dress over to Judy's, so that she could see how it is trimmed."