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So we were proud enough of our two cows, and as long as the children had plenty of milk, never thought of wanting beef, and the old cow might have lived to this time for what I know if we'd been left to ourselves." Here Salina's voice became disturbed, and the girls settled themselves in an attitude of profound attention.
I don't know as uncle Nathan was conscious of it, but Salina's hand certainly tightened around his plump fingers. "You were kind to her, and I want to thank you for it." "Her! Who are you talking about?" "Our Anna. The night has put me so in mind of her. I've been talking about her to little Mary all the evening, and now let me thank you, for you were always good to Anna."
"It never shall!" cried the mother, darting through the door; and rushing toward the kitchen with angry swiftness, she dashed the paper over Salina's shoulder into a huge fire that blazed in the chimney. Frederick followed her, pale with excitement. "You have not, mother, you dare not!" Mrs. Farnham broke into a hysterical laugh. "It's burned it's ashes!" she said.
Aunt Hannah raised her eyes, with a heavy questioning look, but dropped them again without in the least comprehending the drift of Salina's thoughts. "No," said the spinster, stoutly. "It's of no use looking at me in that way; if every hair of his head was hung with diamonds, I wouldn't have him. It's no use asking me, I'm a sot cretur where I am sot, aunt Hannah."
"But you will certainly take me?" pleaded the child, breathlessly. "When I give my word I give it!" "Oh, thank you thank you!" Isabel sprang up flung her arms around Salina's neck, and kissed her. Before Miss Bowles could recover from her astonishment the child was gone.
How unpleasant this duty may have been to uncle Nat I cannot pretend to say; but there was a genial redness about his face when he turned it to the light, as if it had caught a reflection from Salina's tresses, and his brown eyes were flooded with sunshine, as if the whole affair had been rather agreeable than otherwise.
Salina drew close to uncle Nathan's chair very close considering the circumstances, and, with a relenting voice, answered, "Well, Mr. Nathan, I'm here what is it you want to say?" Uncle Nathan reached forth his hand. Salina's unconsciously crept out from the folds of her shawl, in a sort of way as if she didn't intend to let the left hand know what the right was about.
The girls thus addressed were very still, and a sob or two was just heard while the tears leaped like hail-stones down Salina's cheeks. "My heart misgive me I would't a done it. Those great innocent eyes seemed as if they were human, I grew so weak that the axe almost fell. I turned to go back ready to starve or anything rather than look that animal in the face again with the axe in my hand.
Uncle Nathan was too thoroughly saddened for contention; indeed he scarcely noticed the magnificent change in Salina's manner; and, if the truth must be told, was rather glad to be left under the shelter of a roof, when the rain was rattling over it so fiercely.
"Not at all," said Mary, laughing blithely from the top of the ladder, as she settled the candles each into the potatoe socket prepared for it. "Salina's cross sometimes, but then it amounts to nothing."
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