feathers, "I'm going to smooth you this way all night for tomorrow
you die!" Her voice even in a whisper had a solemn, inspired note.
"There's no other way; you'll have to make up your mind to be
willing. It's going to break my heart, and, oh, I'm afraid it will
break yours! I'm afraid it will kill us both!"

Thomas Jefferson uttered a mournful little croaky sound that might
have been "ET TU, BRUTE?" It pierced Rebecca Mary's breast. "There,
hush, poor dear, poor dear, and rest. You'll need all your sleep,"
she crooned softly and brokenly. "Tomorrow morning I'll give you
some beautiful corn, and then--and then I'm going to take you to Mrs.
Avery's boarder and tell her the worst. I'm going to give you up,
Thomas Jefferson; and I'm the best friend you've got in the world!
But I've got to, I've got to--I've got to! It's been revealed to me
in a dream. There was a man once in the Bible, named Abraham, and
there was his dearly beloved little boy named Isaac. And now here's
me named Rebecca Mary, and dearly beloved you named Thomas Jefferson.
Oh, I don't suppose you can understand; I suppose you're asleep.
You'll never know how it feels to give up your dearly belovedest, but
oh, oh, dear, you'll know how it feels to be given up! You'll be
one o' the blessed martyrs, Thomas Jefferson--doesn't that comfort
you a little speck? Oh, why don't you wake up and be comforted?

"The Lord excused Abraham, after all. But this isn't the Lord, it's
Mrs. Avery's boarder. I'm afraid she isn't the Lord's kind--I'm
afraid not, Thomas Jefferson. I don't dare to let you hope; I've
got to prepare you for the worst."

She caught up the big, white fellow with sudden, irresistible
yearning and sat up with him and rocked him back and forth in her arms.