“I haven’t yet.  Not to them-all.  I had to come here—­to him first.  I reckon you don’t know about Burke and me?”

Lynda shook her head.  She had thought she knew—­but she had wandered sadly.

“When Marg laid my trouble to Burke he just took it!  First I couldn’t understand.  But he took my trouble—­and me!  He took lil’ Ann and me out of Miss Lois Ann’s cabin into—­peace and safety.  He tied every one’s tongue—­it seemed like he drove all the—­the wrong away by his big, strong love—­and set me free, like he was God!  He didn’t ask nothing for a right long time, not ’til I grew to—­believe him and trust him.  Then we went—­when no one knew—­and was married.  Now he’s my man and he’s always been lil’ Ann’s father till—­till—­”

A log fell upon the hearth and both women started guiltily and affrightedly.

“Go on! go on!” breathed Lynda.  “Go on!”

“Till the twins came—­Burke’s and mine!  Then he knew the difference—­even his love for me couldn’t help him—­it hindered; and while I—­I feared, I understood!”

“Oh! oh! oh!” Lynda covered her aching eyes with her cold hands.  She dared not look at Nella-Rose.  That childish yet old face was crowding everything but pity from the world.  Truedale, herself—­what did they matter?

“He—­he couldn’t bear to have lil’ Ann touch—­the babies.  I could see him—­shiver!  And lil’ Ann—­she’s like a flower—­she fades if you don’t love her.  She grew afraid and—­and hid, and it seemed like the soul of me would die; for, don’t you see, Burke thinks that Marg’s man is—­is the father, and Marg and Jed lays the trouble to Burke and they think her—­his!  And—­and it has grown more since the big road brought us-all closer.  The big road brought trouble as well as good.  Once”—­and here the haggard face whitened—­“once Burke and Jed fought—­and a fight in the hills means more fights!  Just then Bill Trim was hurt and told me before he died; it was like opening a grave!  I ’most died ’long with Bill Trim—­’til I studied about lil’ Ann!  And then—­I saw wide, and right far, like I hadn’t since—­since before I hated.  I saw how I must come and—­tell you-all, and how maybe you’d take lil’ Ann, and then I could go back to—­to my man and—­there’ll be peace when he knows—­at last!  Will you—­oh! will you be with me, kind lady, when I—­tell your—­your—­man?” Nella-Rose dropped at Lynda’s feet and was pleading like a distraught child.  “I’ve been so afraid.  I did not know his world was so full of noise and—­and right many things.  And he will be—­different—­and I may not be able to make him understand.  But you will—­you will!  I must get back to the hills.  I done told Burke I—­I was going to prove myself to his goodness—­by putting lil’ Ann with them as would be mighty kind to her.  I seemed to know how it would turn out—­and I dared to say it; but now—­now I am mighty—­’fraid!”

The tears were falling from the pain-racked eyes—­falling upon Lynda’s cold, rigid hands—­and they seemed to warm her heart and clear her vision.