and more hot as they looked with infinite
pity at the young woman before her.

Annie thought of these words often as the
summer came on, and the heat grew. Jim
was seldom to be seen now. He was up at
four each morning, and the last chore was
not completed till nine at night. Then he
threw himself in bed and lay there log-like
till dawn. He was too weary to talk much,
and Annie, with her heart aching for his
fatigue, forbore to speak to him. She
cooked the most strengthening things she
could, and tried always to look fresh and
pleasant when he came in. But she often
thought her pains were in vain, for he hardly
rested his sunburned eyes on her. His skin
got so brown that his face was strangely
changed, especially as he no longer had
time to shave, and had let a rough beard
straggle over his cheeks and chin. On
Sundays Annie would have liked to go to
church, but the horses were too tired to be
taken out, and she did not feel well enough
to walk far; besides, Jim got no particular
good out of walking over the hills unless
he had a plough in his hand.

Harvest came at length, and the crop was
good. There were any way from three to