which can make shelter for anybody that needs it anywhere," and as he
spoke Sam looked across the valley into the blaze of the sun that was
beginning to go down behind Paradise Ridge, with that earth-smolder I
was beginning to recognize. I knew that David and Moses and Christ had
all looked down across new life from a hillside, and Sam seemed almost
transfigured to me. And I had a--a vision. I saw that Sam was to be one
of a gigantic new kind of men to whom all who were ahungered and athirst
would come to be cared for. I had brought Peter to him first, and I
knew--I felt that others--that--

"Sam," I said, as I reached out and laid a timid hand, for the first
time stained with earth labor, on the blue sleeve of his overalls,
"don't ever leave Peter and me anywhere you are not, will you?"

"I'm always here for you both when you need me, Betty. Just call," he
answered. "And now you hustle home to Mother Hayes or she won't let me
have you at six and a quarter cents any more."

"Make it five, Sam. I feel smaller now."

"No, that'll be Pete's rate. Come on and take the mud-scow back to Eph.
Present my compliments to him after he has washed it."

Some people have a way of pruning a friend's spirit in a manner that
makes it bush out more hardily than ever. That is the way Sam does me,
and I intend to worship him delightfully if I want to and he continues
to deserve it. It is so much better for a woman to worship a man than
love him; it puts a strong barrier between them to keep him from hurting
her, which loving him doesn't seem to, at least not with Edith and
Tolly; and I am always worried over Peter; but for long intervals I can