“That's about the only thing I had to call my own when I was married,” she offered in explanation of her fervor, speaking to the company at large. Then she added in a lower tone, to Esther: “He used to play with it for hours at a stretch—when he was a baby.”
“'Member how he used to hold it up to his ear, eh, mother?” asked Abner, softly.
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.