His bronzed face grew as stern as it was thin; and since he would
no longer look at her, Susie Rolliffe began to steal an occasional
and wondering glance at him "'tween meetings."
No one understood the young man or knew his plans except his
patient, sad-eyed mother, and she learned more by her intuitions
than from his spoken words. She idolized him, and he loved and
revered her: but the terrible Puritan restraint paralyzed
manifestations of affection. She was not taken by surprise when
one evening he said quietly, "Mother, I guess I'll start in a day
or two."
She could not repress a sort of gasping sob however, but after a
few moments was able to say steadily, "I supposed you were
preparing to leave us."
"Yes, mother, I've been a-preparing. I've done my best to gather
in everything that would help keep you and the children and the
stock through the winter. The corn is all shocked, and the older
children can help you husk it, and gather in the pumpkins, the
beans, and the rest. As soon as I finish digging the potatoes I
think I'll feel better to be in the lines around Boston.
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