He dropped the pocketbook and went, with his face oddly reddened after being so white. Evvie’s doctor from Carson was paid; the parcel-post brought oranges, lettuce, and such to the Kanes’ scant winter table. Gradually Evvie began to eat the food that interested her because it was unusual. Her eyes grew gentler and her glance rested intelligently on people and things. She would smile as her father told some pitiful joke, trying to ignore the fact that his daughter wasn’t “jest right.” The growing baby exhibited Merlin traits which made him a favorite. One day Evvie’s wandering eyes fell upon him as he lay in my lap. Her glance stopped and became uneasy. “Is that mommie’s baby?” she said. “No, he’s your very own, Evvie, and as fine as they are made. Look! He has your big eyes, and just see how heavy! Let him lie on your lap a minute and you’ll find out.” I started to lift him to her, but her look turned to swift terror and she shrank away. It was the beginning of health, however. A day or two afterward she asked me how long it would be before she died, and I knew she had begun to think about living. “That depends on yourself, Evvie.” “Could I live if I wanted to?” she asked, with incredulous hope. “You could be well in two months.” “After ever’thing?” “Every single thing.” “Mommie don’t want me home with a baby.” “Your mother wouldn’t give up Bennie if Judd came with ten sheriffs to take him.” “Could Judd take him?” she asked, with vehemence that was full of promise. “You left Judd, you know, and the law might let the father have the child.” “When he was so mean to me?” “Oh! You think he was mean?” “He’d leave me in that holler by myse’f an’ stay out all night huntin’.” “The law might think a wife ought to have the courage to put up with that.” “He knocked me inter the briars when I tried to foller him.” “M-m-m! How long was that,” said I, touching the baby, “before your young man got here?” “’Bout a month. I told him I’s afeard to stay in the shack, an’ he said I wanted to foller him ’cause I thought he was goin’ to Lizzie Bowles.” It was joy to me to see her eyes flood burningly with temper. “That’s where he _was_ goin’, too! He used to talk to her ’fore we’s married, an’ she’d jest come back from the cotton-mills in South C’lina with two silk dresses. They’d got up a big dance an’ I knowed Judd was agoin’. An’ he knocked me inter the briars by the trail round the corn patch.” “The law might consider that,” I said. “Don’t worry about losing your baby. But first make sure that you want him.” “I b’lieve I could hold him a bit now if you’ll set him here.”