Melanctha once had told Jem, sure he knew she always would love to be with him, if he was in jail or only just a beggar.  Now Melanctha said to him, “Sure you know Jem that it don’t never make any kind of difference you’re having any kind of trouble, you just try me Jem and be game, don’t look so worried to me.  Jem sure I know you love me like I love you always, and its all I ever could be wanting Jem to me, just your wanting me always to be with you.  I get married Jem to you soon ever as you can want me, if you once say it Jem to me.  It ain’t nothing to me ever, anything like having any money Jem, why you look so worried to me.”

Melanctha Herbert’s love had surely made her mad and foolish.  She thrust it always deep into Jem Richards and now that he had trouble with his betting, Jem had no way that he ever wanted to be made to feel it.  Jem Richards never could want to marry any girl while he had trouble.  That was no way a man like him should do it.  Melanctha’s love had made her mad and foolish, she should be silent now and let him do it.  Jem Richards was not a kind of man to want a woman to be strong to him, when he was in trouble with his betting.  That was not the kind of a time when a man like him needed to have it.

Melanctha needed so badly to have it, this love which she had always wanted, she did not know what she should do to save it.  Melanctha saw now, Jem Richards always had something wrong inside him.  Melanctha soon dared not ask him.  Jem was busy now, he had to sell things and see men to raise money.  Jem could not meet Melanctha now so often.

It was lucky for Melanctha Herbert that Rose Johnson was coming now to have her baby.  It had always been understood between them, Rose should come and stay then in the house where Melanctha lived with an old colored woman, so that Rose could have the Doctor from the hospital near by to help her, and Melanctha there to take care of her the way Melanctha always used to do it.

Melanctha was very good now to Rose Johnson.  Melanctha did everything that any woman could, she tended Rose, and she was patient, submissive, soothing and untiring, while the sullen, childish, cowardly, black Rosie grumbled, and fussed, and howled, and made herself to be an abomination and like a simple beast.

All this time Melanctha was always being every now and then with Jem Richards.  Melanctha was beginning to be stronger with Jem Richards.  Melanctha was never so strong and sweet and in her nature as when she was deep in trouble, when she was fighting so with all she had, she could not do any foolish thing with her nature.

Always now Melanctha Herbert came back again to be nearer to Rose Johnson.  Always now Melanctha would tell all about her troubles to Rose Johnson.  Rose had begun now a little again to advise her.

Melanctha always told Rose now about the talks she had with Jem Richards, talks where they neither of them liked very well what the other one was saying.  Melanctha did not know what it was Jem Richards wanted.  All Melanctha knew was, he did not like it when she wanted to be good friends and get really married, and then when Melanctha would say, “all right, I never wear your ring no more Jem, we ain’t not any more to meet ever like we ever going to get really regular married,” then Jem did not like it either.  What was it Jem Richards really wanted?