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scooted； skedaddled out here。〃
〃But what for？〃 asked the master； regarding Uncle Ben with hopeless
wonder。 〃Something must have happened。 What was it？ Was she〃
〃She WAS a good schollard；〃 said Uncle Ben gravely； 〃and allowed to
be sech； by all。 She stood about so high；〃 he continued； indicating
with his hand a medium height。 〃War little and dark complected。〃
〃But you must have had some reason for leaving her？〃
〃I've sometimes had an idea；〃 said Uncle Ben cautiously； 〃that
mebbee runnin' away ran in some fam'lies。 Now； there war my mother
run off with an entire stranger； and yer's me ez run off by myself。
And what makes it the more one…like is that jest as dad allus
allowed he could get a devorce agin mother； so my wife could hev
got one agin me for leavin' her。 And it's almost an evenhanded
game that she hez。 It's there where the oncertainty comes in。〃
〃But are you satisfied to remain in this doubt？ or do you propose；
now that you are able； to institute a thorough search for her？〃
〃I was kalkilatin' to look around a little；〃 said Uncle Ben simply。
〃And return to her if you find her？〃 continued the master。
〃I didn't say that； Mr。 Ford。〃
〃But if she hasn't got a divorce from you that's what you'll have
to do； and what you ought to doif I understand your story。 For
by your own showing； a more causeless； heartless； and utterly
inexcusable desertion than yours； I never heard of。〃
〃Do you think so？〃 said Uncle Ben with exasperating simplicity。
〃Do I think so？〃 repeated Mr。 Ford； indignantly。 〃Everybody'll
think so。 They can't think otherwise。 You say you deserted her；
and you admit she did nothing to provoke it。〃
〃No；〃 returned Uncle Ben quickly； 〃nothin'。 Did I tell you； Mr。
Ford； that she could play the pianner and sing？〃
〃No；〃 said Mr。 Ford； curtly； rising impatiently and crossing the
room。 He was more than half convinced that Uncle Ben was deceiving
him。 Either under the veil of his hide…bound simplicity he was an
utterly selfish； heartless； secretive man； or else he was telling
an idiotic falsehood。
〃I'm sorry I can neither congratulate you nor condole with you on
what you have just told me。 I cannot see that you have the least
excuse for delaying a single moment to search for your wife and
make amends for your conduct。 And if you want my opinion it
strikes me as being a much more honorable way of employing your new
riches than mediating in your neighbors' squabbles。 But it's
getting late and I'm afraid we must bring our talk to an end。 I
hope you'll think this over before we meet againand think
differently。〃
Nevertheless； as they both left the schoolhouse； Mr。 Ford lingered
over the locking of the door to give Uncle Ben a final chance for
further explanation。 But none came。 The new capitalist of Indian
Spring regarded him with an intensification of his usual half sad；
half embarrassed smile； and only said： 〃You understand this yer's a
secret； Mr。 Ford？〃
〃Certainly；〃 said Ford with ill…concealed irritation。
〃'Bout my bein' sorter married？〃
〃Don't be alarmed；〃 he responded dryly； 〃it's not a taking story。〃
They separated； Uncle Ben； more than ever involved in his usual
unsatisfactory purposes； wending his way towards his riches； the
master lingering to observe his departure before he plunged； in
virtuous superiority； into the woods that fringed the Harrison and
McKinstry boundaries。
CHAPTER VIII。
The religious attitude which Mrs。 McKinstry had assumed towards her
husband's weak civilized tendencies was not entirely free from
human rancor。 That strong loyal nature which had unsexed itself
in the one idea of duty； now that duty seemed to be no longer
appreciated took refuge in her forgotten womanhood and in the
infinitesimally small arguments； resources； and manoeuvres at its
command。 She had conceived a singular jealousy of this daughter
who had changed her husband's nature； and who had supplanted the
traditions of the household life； she had acquired an exaggerated
depreciation of those feminine charms which had never been a factor
in her own domestic happiness。 She saw in her husband's desire to
mitigate the savage austerities of their habits only a weak
concession to the powers of beauty and adornmentdegrading
vanities she had never known in their life…long struggle for
frontier supremacythat had never brought them victorious out of
that struggle。 〃Frizzles；〃 〃furblows；〃 and 〃fancy fixin's〃 had
never helped them in their exodus across the plains； had never
taken the place of swift eyes； quick ears； strong hands； and
endurance； had never nursed the sick or bandaged the wounded。 When
envy or jealousy invades the female heart after forty it is apt to
bring a bitterness which knows no attenuating compensation in that
coquetry； emulation； passionate appeal； or innocent tenderness；
which makes tolerable the jealous caprices of the younger woman。
The struggle for rivalry is felt to be hopeless； the power of
imitation is gone。 Of her forgotten womanhood Mrs。 McKinstry
revived only a capacity to suffer meanly and inflict mean suffering
upon others。 In the ruined castle of her youth； and the falling in
of banqueting hall and bower； the dungeon and torture…chamber
appeared to have been left； or； to use her own metaphor； she had
querulously complained to the parson that； 〃Accordin' to some
folks； she mout hev bin the barren fig…tree e…lected to bear
persimmums。〃
Her methods were not entirely different from those employed by her
suffering sisterhood in like emergencies。 The unlucky Hiram；
〃worrited by stock；〃 was hardly placated or consoled by learning
from her that it was only the result of his own weakness； acting
upon the 'cussedness of the stock…dispersing Harrisons； the
perplexity into which he was thrown by the news of the new legal
claim to his land was not soothed by the suggestion that it was a
trick of that Yankee civilization to which he was meanly succumbing。
She who had always been a rough but devoted nurse in sickness was
now herself overtaken by vague irregular disorders which involved
the greatest care and the absence of all exciting causes。 The
attendance of McKinstry and Cressy at a 〃crazy quilting party〃 had
brought on 〃blind chills；〃 the importation of a melodeon for Cressy
to play on had superinduced an 〃innerd rash；〃 and a threatened
attack of 〃palsy creeps〃 had only been warded off by the timely
postponement of an evening party suggested by her daughter。 The old
nomadic instinct； morbidly excited by her discontent； caused her to
lay artful plans for a further emigration。 She knew she had the
germs of 〃mash fever〃 caught from the adjacent river； she related
mysterious information； gathered in 〃class meeting；〃 of the superior
facilities for stock raising on the higher foot…hills； she
resuscitated her dead and gone Missouri relations in her daily
speech； to a manifes