Melanctha Herbert was all sore and bruised inside her.  Melanctha had needed Rose always to believe her, Melanctha needed Rose always to let her cling to her, Melanctha wanted badly to have somebody who could make her always feel a little safe inside her, and now Rose had sent her from her.  Melanctha wanted Rose more than she had ever wanted all the others.  Rose always was so simple, solid, decent, for her.  And now Rose had cast her from her.  Melanctha was lost, and all the world went whirling in a mad weary dance around her.

Melanctha Herbert never had any strength alone ever to feel safe inside her.  And now Rose Johnson had cast her from her, and Melanctha could never any more be near her.  Melanctha Herbert knew now, way inside her, that she was lost, and nothing any more could ever help her.

Melanctha went that night to meet Jem Richards who had promised to be at the old place to meet her.  Jem Richards was absent in his manner to her.  By and by he began to talk to her, about the trip he was going to take soon, to see if he could get some luck back in his betting.  Melanctha trembled, was Jem too now going to leave her.  Jem Richards talked some more then to her, about the bad luck he always had now, and how he needed to go away to see if he could make it come out any better.

Then Jem stopped, and then he looked straight at Melanctha.

“Tell me Melanctha right and true, you don’t care really nothing more about me now Melanctha,” he said to her.

“Why you ask me that, Jem Richards,” said Melanctha.

“Why I ask you that Melanctha, God Almighty, because I just don’t give a damn now for you any more Melanctha.  That the reason I was asking.”

Melanctha never could have for this an answer.  Jem Richards waited and then he went away and left her.

Melanctha Herbert never again saw Jem Richards.  Melanctha never again saw Rose Johnson, and it was hard to Melanctha never any more to see her.  Rose Johnson had worked in to be the deepest of all Melanctha’s emotions.

“No, I don’t never see Melanctha Herbert no more now,” Rose would say to anybody who asked her about Melanctha.  “No, Melanctha she never comes here no more now, after we had all that trouble with her acting so bad with them kind of men she liked so much to be with.  She don’t never come to no good Melanctha Herbert don’t, and me and Sam don’t want no more to see her.  She didn’t do right ever the way I told her.  Melanctha just wouldn’t, and I always said it to her, if she don’t be more kind of careful, the way she always had to be acting, I never did want no more she should come here in my house no more to see me.  I ain’t no ways ever against any girl having any kind of a way, to have a good time like she wants it, but not that kind of a way Melanctha always had to do it.  I expect some day Melanctha kill herself, when she act so bad like she do always, and then she got so awful blue.  Melanctha always