“I’ve got to sell it to you this afternoon,” she murmured brokenly. “Peg’s got to have the money.”
“We’ve enough at home until to-morrow.... Wait until to-morrow.”
Jinnie looked longingly at the wood.
“Somebody’ll take it,” she objected, “and it’s awful hard to gather.”
A grip of pain stabbed Theodore’s heart. This slender, beautiful girl, rosy with health and genius, should gather wood no more for any one in the world.... To soothe her, he said:
“I’ll come by and pick it up on my way back.... Come along.”
He lifted her into the car, and they moved slowly through Paradise Road, and drew up before the cobbler’s shop.
Lafe put down his hammer as they entered, and bade King take a chair. Jinnie sat weakly on the bench beside Mr. Grandoken. He took her hand, and the loving pressure brought forth a storm of outraged tears.
“’Twas Maudlin, Lafe,” she wept.
Then her arms stole around the cobbler. “The angels sent Mr. King!... Lafe, Lafe, save me from Maudlin! He—he––” 160