“Yes, I did. The old man’s dead, too, and the family’s gone away—Lord knows where. They weren’t much loss, to all accounts. The sons got into trouble, I b’lieve—went to the bad. They had a bad name here.”
“Did they? Well, they had good hearts—at least, old Malachi Duggan and the eldest son had.... You can give me a couple of pounds of sugar.”
“Right. I suppose it’s a long time since you were here last?”
“Fifteen years.”
“Indeed!”
“Yes. I don’t s’pose I remind you of anyone you know around here?”
“N—no!” said the grocer with a smile. “I can’t say you do.”
“Ah, well! I s’pose I’ll find the Wilds still living in the same place?”
“The Wilds? Well, no. The old man is dead, too, and—”
“And—and where’s Jim? He ain’t dead?”