twisted up into a little hard knot just like as if she had done it up
when some one was callin' her to come quick."

"Yes, I can imagine it," I nodded.

"Well, that's the way things went at the first, while he was gettin' his
start, and I guess they was happy then. You see, they was pullin' even
them days and runnin' neck and neck. Even when Fred Farrell, her old
beau, married a girl she knew and built a fine house all piazzas and
bow-winders right in sight of their shabby little rented cottage, I
don't think she minded it; even if Mis' Farrell didn't have anythin' to
do from mornin' till night only set in a white dress on her piazza, and
rock, and give parties, Betty didn't seem to mind. She had her Joe.

"But by and by she didn't have her Joe. Other folks had him and his
business had him. I mean, he'd got up where the big folks in town begun
to take notice of him; and when he wa'n't tendin' to business, he was
hobnobbin' with them, so's to bring more business. And--of course
she, with her babies and housework, didn't have no time for that.

"Well, next they moved away. When they went they took my oldest girl,
Mary, to help Betty; and so we still kept track of 'em. Mary said it was
worse than ever in the new place. It was quite a big city and just
livin' cost a lot. Mr. Whitermore, of course, had to look decent, out
among folks as he was, so he had to be 'tended to first. Then what was
left of money and time went to the children. It wa'n't long, too, before
the big folks there begun to take notice, and Mr. Whitermore
would come home all excited and tell about what was said to him and what
fine things he was bein' asked to do. He said 'twas goin' to mean
everythin' to his career.