“More’n two weeks,” Lawson repeated.
“Where?” The girl’s voice was hard and cold.
“In the Holler. Miss Lois Ann helped—but Lord! you can’t eat a helpless old woman out of house and home. Last night—”
“Yes, yes; I know. And oh, Burke, Mister Merrivale hasn’t forgot—the fever and your goodness. He won’t give you up.”
“He won’t need to. I’m right safe, ’cept for food. There’s an old hole, back of a deserted still—I can even have a bit of fire. The devil himself couldn’t find me. After a time I’m going—”
“Where? Where, Burke?”
“Nella-Rose, would you come with me? ’Twas you as brought me back—I had to come. If you will—oh! my doney-gal—”
“Stop! stop, Burke. Some one might be near. No, no; I couldn’t leave the hills—I’d die from the longing, you know that!”
“If I—dared them all—could you take me, Nella-Rose? I’d run my chances with you! Night and day you tug and pull at the heart o’ me, Nella-Rose.”
Fear, and a deeper understanding, drove Nella-Rose to the wrong course.