"Not 'zactly--not daid--jes now." Poor Becky, breaking through her own
reserve and agony, made a pitiful appeal.

"She has--gone away? With whom?" Sister Angela began to comprehend and
she lowered her voice, bending toward Becky.

"She ain't gone with any one--she didn't have ter--but she'll fotch up
with someone fore long. She's gone to larn--she got the call, same as
all her kin--it's the curse!"

Now that the wall of reserve was down the pent waters rushed through and
they came on the fanciful, dramatic words peculiar to Becky and her
kind. Angela did not interrupt--she waited while the old, stifled voice
ran on:

"I had to larn, and I went far and saw sights, and when it was larned I
cum back, with Zalie's mother rolled up like she was a bundle. The old
cabin was empty 'cept for wild things as found shelter there--me and her
settled down and no one found out for some time, and then it didn't
matter!

"Zalie's mother, she had to larn and she went with a man as helped her
larn powerful quick. He don killed my gal by his ways an' he left her to
die. It was a stranger as brought Zalie to me, and then I set myself to
the task of keeping her from the curse--but she got the call and she
went! I can see her"--here the strange eyes looked as the eyes of a seer
look--they were following the girl on the "larnin' way"; the tired voice
trailed sadly--"I can see how she went. It was nearing morning and all
the moonlight that the night had left was piled like mist down in the
Gap. Her head was up and she had her hands out--sorter feelin', feelin',