M’rye nodded her head, and then put her apron up to her eyes for a brief moment. When she lowered it, we saw an unaccustomed smile mellowing her hard-set, swarthy face.
The candle-light flashed upon a tear on her cheek that the apron had missed.
‘“I guess I do remember!” she said, with a voice full of tenderness.
Then Esther’s hand stole into M’rye’s and the two women stood together before Abner, erect and with beaming countenances, and he smiled upon them both.
It seemed that we were all much happier in our minds, now that our house had been burned down over our heads.
CHAPTER XI—THE CONQUEST OF ABNER
Some time during the night, I was awakened by the mice frisking through the hay about my ears. My head was aching again, and I could not get back into sleep. Besides, Hurley was snoring mercilessly.
We two had chosen for our resting-place the little mow of half a load or so, which had not been stowed away above, but lay ready for present use over by the side-door opening on the cow-yard. Temporary beds had been spread for the women with fresh straw and blankets at the further end of the central threshing-floor. Abner himself had taken one of the rescued ticks and a quilt over to the other end, and stretched his ponderous length out across the big doors, with the gun by his side. No one had, of course, dreamed of undressing.