And Mavis had left the old circuit rider and come to live with her. The
girl looked quiet, placid, content--only, for a moment, she sank the
deep lights of her eyes deep into his and the scrutiny seemed to bring
her peace, for she drew a long breath and at him her eyes smiled. There
was more when later Mavis had strolled down toward the barn to leave
the two alone.
"Is Mavis goin' to live with you all the time?"
"Hit looks like hit--she brought over ever'thing she has."
The mother smiled suddenly, looked to see that the girl was out of
sight, and then led the way into the house and up into the attic, where
she reached behind the rafters.
"Look hyeh," she said, and she pulled into sight the fishing-pole and
the old bow and arrow that Jason had given Mavis years and years ago.
"She fetched 'em over when I wasn't hyeh an' HID 'em."
Slyly the mother watched her son's face, and though Jason said nothing,
she got her reward when she saw him color faintly. She was too wise to
say anything more herself, nor did she show any consciousness when the
three were together in the porch, nor make any move to leave them
alone. The two women went to their work again, and while Mavis asked
nothing, the mother plied Jason with questions about Colonel and Mrs.
Pendleton and Marjorie and Gray, and had him tell about his graduating
speech and Commencement Day. The girl listened eagerly, though all the
time her eyes were fixed on her busy fingers, and when Jason told that
Gray would most likely come back to the hills, now that his father
would get well, she did not even lift her eyes and the calm of her face
changed not at all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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