The little man might like them."

As she turned. Rose took note of the unkempt hair,
the slight stoop of the woman's unusually tall figure,



64 WHEN ALL THE WOODS ABE GREEN

and the shoeless, aneovered, and distorted feet. Not
less the desolate, comfortless cabin caaght her eye, —
the rade wooden f nmitore, and the bed, whence came
the hoarse breathing of the sick child. To her sur-
prise, Mrs. Colkett said :

"Dory Maybrook 's always a-fossin' over other
folks' concerns, 'stead of mindin' her own affaurs."

Lyndsay, who was standing beside Rose, looked
np at the woman.
" I think," he said, " Dorothy is incapable of want-
ing to be other than kind."

"S'pose so. She might of let on she was goin'
a-beggin'."

"Oh, it was not that," cried Rose, bewildered by
the woman's mode of receiving a kindness.
"Dare say: maybe not. All the same, me and
Joe ain't never asked no favors. Set down, miss."

"No, thank you," returned Rose, and began to
empty her basket of fruit and other luxuries.
" We came over," said Lyndsay, " because my wife
thought you might need help."

" It ain't no use. It was n't never no use. That
boy 's a-goin' like the rest."

" I trust not so bad as that."

" Yes 5 he 's a-goin' like them others."

" You have lost other children t " said Rose, gently,
looking up as she cleared the basket.
