"Now, tell me everything," commanded Margaret. "I want to know everything that's happened." Patty shook her head. "Thar ain't much, an' what thar is ain't interestin'," she said. "We jest lived, an' we're livin' now. Nothin' much happens." "But you married." Patty flushed. Her eyes fell. "Yes." "And your husband--he's--living?" "Yes." Margaret hesitated. This was plainly an unpleasant subject, yet if she were to give any help that _was_ help-- Patty saw the hesitation, and divined its cause. "You--you better leave Sam out," she said miserably. "He has ter be left out o' most things. Sam--drinks." "Oh, but we aren't going to leave Sam out," retorted Margaret, brightly; and at the cheery tone Patty raised her head. "He didn't used ter be left out, once--when I married him eight years ago," she declared. "We worked in the mill--both of us, an' done well." "Here?" Patty turned her eyes away. All the animation fled from her face and left it gray and pinched. "No. We hain't been here but two years. We jest kind of drifted here from the last place. We don't never stay long--in one place." "And the twins--where are they?" A spasm of pain tightened Patty's lips. "I don't know," she said. "You--don't--know!" "No. They lived with us at first, an' worked some in the mill. Arabella couldn't much; you know she was lame. After Sam got--worse, he didn't like ter have 'em 'round, an' 'course they found it out. One night he--struck Arabella, an' 'course that settled things. Clarabella wouldn't let her stay thar another minute, an'--an' I wouldn't neither. Jest think--an' her lame, an' we always treatin' her so gentle! I give 'em what little money I had, an' they left 'fore mornin'. I couldn't go. My little Maggie wa'n't but three days old." "But you heard from them--you knew where they went?" "Yes, once or twice. They started fur New York, an' got thar all right. We was down in Jersey then, an' 'twa'n't fur. They found the Whalens an' went back ter them. After that I didn't hear. You know the twins wa'n't much fur writin', an'--well, we left whar we was, anyhow. I've wrote twice, but thar hain't nothin' come of it.... But I hadn't oughter run on so," she broke off suddenly. "You was so good ter come. Mis' Magoon said you--you wouldn't want to." "Want to? Of course I wanted to!" "I know; but it had been so long, an' we hadn't never heard from you since you got the Whalens their new--that is----" she stopped, a painful red dyeing her cheeks. "Yes, I know," said Margaret, gently. "You thought we had forgotten you, and no wonder. But you know now? Bobby told you that----" her voice broke, and she did not finish her sentence. Patty nodded, her eyes averted. She could not speak.