“His mother, po’ thing.  Died of the fever, last night.  Tha warn’t no sich thing as saving of her.  But it’s better for her—­better for her.  Husband and the other two children died in the spring, and she hain’t ever hilt up her head sence.  She jest went around broken-hearted like, and never took no intrust in anything but Clay—­that’s the boy thar.  She jest worshiped Clay—­and Clay he worshiped her.  They didn’t ’pear to live at all, only when they was together, looking at each other, loving one another.  She’s ben sick three weeks; and if you believe me that child has worked, and kep’ the run of the med’cin, and the times of giving it, and sot up nights and nussed her, and tried to keep up her sperits, the same as a grown-up person.  And last night when she kep’ a sinking and sinking, and turned away her head and didn’t know him no mo’, it was fitten to make a body’s heart break to see him climb onto the bed and lay his cheek agin hern and call her so pitiful and she not answer.  But bymeby she roused up, like, and looked around wild, and then she see him, and she made a great cry and snatched him to her breast and hilt him close and kissed him over and over agin; but it took the last po’ strength she had, and so her eyelids begin to close down, and her arms sort o’ drooped away and then we see she was gone, po’ creetur.  And Clay, he—­Oh, the po’ motherless thing—­I cain’t talk abort it—­I cain’t bear to talk about it.”

Clay had disappeared from the door; but he came in, now, and the neighbors reverently fell apart and made way for him.  He leaned upon the open coffin and let his tears course silently.  Then he put out his small hand and smoothed the hair and stroked the dead face lovingly.  After a bit he brought his other hand up from behind him and laid three or four fresh wild flowers upon the breast, bent over and kissed the unresponsive lips time and time again, and then turned away and went out of the house without looking at any of the company.  The old lady said to Hawkins: 

“She always loved that kind o’ flowers.  He fetched ’em for her every morning, and she always kissed him.  They was from away north somers—­she kep’ school when she fust come.  Goodness knows what’s to become o’ that po’ boy.  No father, no mother, no kin folks of no kind.  Nobody to go to, nobody that k’yers for him—­and all of us is so put to it for to get along and families so large.”

Hawkins understood.  All, eyes were turned inquiringly upon him.  He said: 

“Friends, I am not very well provided for, myself, but still I would not turn my back on a homeless orphan.  If he will go with me I will give him a home, and loving regard—­I will do for him as I would have another do for a child of my own in misfortune.”

One after another the people stepped forward and wrung the stranger’s hand with cordial good will, and their eyes looked all that their hands could not express or their lips speak.