“I have never been on sech a fast one before,” she said, tremulously.
“She don’t whiz nigh like some I’ve rid on out West,” replied Joel, with an air of conscious importance, even guardianship.
A few minutes later she grew calmer. Happening to catch her eye, he saw that her mind was far away.
“I was jest a-thinkin’ how awful it is to be leavin’ Susie’s grave so fur behind,” she said. “I’m goin’ to Amos, but my other child is back thar.”
“I was thinkin’ about Rachel’s grave jest a minute ago,” he returned. “You called ’er to my mind jest now. Somehow you have the same sort of a look about the eyes.”
“Shucks! that ain’t so, I know!”
“It’s true as I live!”
“Well, she was a good woman.”
“The best I ever run across, an’ knowed rail well.”
The sun, seen first on one side of the car and then on the other, went down. The train porter laid a plank across the ends of the seats and climbed up on it and lighted the lamps overhead. This made the space outside look like a black curtain softly flapping against the car. The widow opened her carpet-bag and took out something wrapped in a napkin.