his mother's face. Then he rubbed her little lean hands with his
hard, boyish palm. He had seen his mother faint before. In fact, he
had been all prepared for it now.

Presently she began to gasp and struggle feebly, and he knew she was
coming to. "Feel better?" he asked, in a loud voice, as if she were
miles away; indeed, he had a feeling that she was. "Feel better,
mother?"

Mrs. Edwards raised herself. "Your--father has fell down and died,"
she said. "There needn't anybody say anything else. Wipe this water
off my face. Get a towel." Jerome obeyed.

"There needn't anybody say anything else," repeated his mother.

"I guess they needn't, either," assented Jerome, coming with the
towel and wiping her face gently. "I'd like to hear anybody," he
added, fiercely.

"He's fell down--and died," said his mother. She made sounds like
sobs as she spoke, but there were no tears in her eyes.

"I s'pose I ought to go an' take the horse out," said Jerome.

"Well."

"I'll send Elmira in; she's holdin' him."

"Well."