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Updated: June 17, 2025
"I shot at a pa'tridge," Tenney babbled, "I shot " But Raven was kneeling by Dick in the reddening snow. Eugene Martin had driven at a quick pace through the back road and down again to the point where it met the highway. He had stuffed Tira's apron into his pocket, and through his passion he was aware of it as something he could use, how he did not yet know.
An' there's no" she sought for a word here and came out blunderingly "no peace nor rest. Nor for me, neither. I ain't had peace nor rest. Except" here she paused again and ended gravely, and not this time inadequately "in him." Nan understood. She was grave in her answer. "Mr. Raven," she said. "I know." The color flowed into Tira's face and she looked at Nan, with her jewel-like eyes.
How horrible beyond measure if she took over Aunt Anne's frantic task of beneficent guidance! Rookie should be free. He began to laugh, and, without waiting for the reason, she joined him. "Maybe I will," he said, "the Malay prescription, half of it. But I should want you with me. You may not be little, but you're a great Nan to play with. We won't drag Tira's name into it," he added gravely.
"Now I'll tell you what I'm here for." "Sit down, Nan," he bade her. Now that his first derangement was over, he was glad to see her. Tira might not come. If she did, he could do something. He could even, at a pinch and with Tira's consent, put the knowledge of the tawdry business into Nan's hands. But she would not sit down. Plainly she had received a setback.
She looked at once unreasonably happy, like, he extravagantly thought, a beautiful statue with the fountain of life playing over it. "I'll come for Old Crow." "Pick up your duds," said he, "and I'll go along and see if I can make anything out of her. You be ready when I come back." Nan looked after him and thought how fast he walked and how Tira, as well as Tira's troubles, drew him.
It did not seem possible that a woman's warm heart was beating inside there, Tira's heart, home of loves unquenchable. He put his hand down under the stone. The key was there, and rising, he felt his mind heavy with reproaches of her. She had gone back to Tenney. The night's work was undone.
But when he had reached the little entry between this room and the one where Tira's body lay, she ran to him. "Rookie," she said, "Mrs. Donnyhill's out there with the children. Don't you want to go in and see Tira?" Raven stood for a minute, considering. Then he crossed the entry and Nan, finding he could not, for some reason, put his hand on the latch, opened the door for him, and he went in.
Tenney sat a long time, motionless, his eyes on the window at the end of the room where a woodbine spray was tapping, and again Nan became conscious of the increased tremor in Tira's frame. For now it seemed to have run over her and strangely to keep time to the woodbine spray outside.
"I didn't carry her off," said Raven, speaking slowly and clearly, for he had a feeling that Tenney was somehow deaf to him. "Tira went over to Mountain Brook yesterday. Nan knew she was going, and this morning she was worried, because she got thinking of Tira's crossing the stepping stones. She asked me to take her over there. We found her. She was drowned."
Tira's body had so revolted against life, the life of the earth that had grown up into a jungle, that it would be kinder to leave it inviolate even by a touch. "Don't you want to change your mind?" Nan asked. "Mayn't I get the car? It's seven long miles, Tira." "Not the way I'm goin'," said Tira. There was a little smile at the corners of her mouth. It was a kind smile, a mother smile.
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