The Dead Alive
window. Silas might confess to having taken his brother's stick, and might mention whose head he had threatened with it. It was not only useless, but undesirable, that Ambrose should kn
e farm. She had her working apron on, and she was industriously brightening the knives for the breakfast-table on an old-fashioned board. A sleek black cat
said; "I want t
nxious. She pushed the cat irritably off her shoulder; she welcome
droom window this morning. When I begged him to explain himself, he only answered, 'Ask Mr. Lefrank; I mu
d happened under my window as plainly as I have told it here. She put down
she said. "When a man asks anything of a woman, the
The moonlight meeting had left some unwelcome remembrance
t the question with all needful deli
," she began, with a stron
ed again to the deepest red. She took up the knife once
ised not to tell anybody. That's the truth. Forget all about it, sir, as soon as y
tiously large Prayer-Book; and she looked at Naomi as only a jealous wo
and noticed me standing under the window. "Prayers, Mr. Lefrank," she
directly, Miss Meado
intrude on your sec
I joined Naomi, entering the room by the garden door. She met me eagerly. "I am not quite e
es
Ambrose of what hap
mentioned, had occurred to my min
replied. "You and I can easily p
ook m
rose will be there, and I shall find
f an injured woman taking the throne of mercy by storm, and insisting on her rights. Breakfast followed; and still the brothers were absent. Miss Meadowcroft looked at her father, and said, "From bad to worse, si
out discovering the missing men. We found them at last near the outskirts
or apology, into the wood. As he got on his feet, I noticed that his br
a secret from us?" asked Naomi, approaching her love
him. I noticed, with a certain surprise that his favori
very graciously-"business between Silas and
ioning, heedless of the reception which t
at prayers and breakfa
ose gruffly replied, "and we
has never happened before si
d learn. It ha
e. But warnings which speak by implication only are thrown away on w
ything of John Ja
many more questions am I to answer?" he broke out violently. "Are you the parson putting me through my
rother into the wood. Naomi's bright eyes
used; her voice, look and manner suddenly changed. "This has never happened before, sir. Has anything
the best of
rook, upsets a man's temper sometimes. I speak as a man, and I know it.
m of their absence from morning prayers with needless severity, as I thought. They resented the reproof with needless indignation on their side, and left the room. A sour smil
nner. When I saw her again
"and he has begged my pardon. We have
hat, Mis
enies it; but I can't help thinkin
p my attention to the story. What else I was thinking of I cannot say. Why I was out of spirits I am u
n of John Jago. He was expected back to supper; and we waited for him a quar
m. Naomi eyed her, a little maliciously I must own, as the two women parted for the night. I withdrew to my
t a curl of her stiff gray hair was disarranged; nothing about the im
o not return
owly shook her head
Mr. Lefrank. Mr. Jago must have been
Jago darkened the doors of Morwick Farm. Mr. Meadowcroft and his daughter consulted together, and determined to send i
nd all the places of business resort in Narrabee; he had made endless inquiries in every direction, with
o were seated together in a dark corner of the room. The co