“Now rest a bit,” she said, “and then tell me why you are glad to see me, and exactly what you’d like me to do here.  Mind, I’ve been away seven years, and Adam told me not a word, except that Father was gone.”

“Humph!  All missed the mark again,” commented Mrs. Bates dryly.  “They all said he’d gone to fill you up, and get you on his side.”

“Mother, what is the trouble?” asked Kate.  “Take your time and tell me what has happened, and what you want, not what Adam wants.”

Mrs. Bates relaxed her body a trifle, but gripped her hands tightly together in her lap.

“Well, it was quick work,” she said.  “It all came yesterday afternoon just like being hit by lightning.  Pa hadn’t failed a particle that any one could see.  Ate a big dinner of ham an’ boiled dumplings, an’ him an’ Hiram was in the west field.  It was scorchin’ hot an’ first Hiram saw, Pa was down.  Sam Langley was passin’ an’ helped get him in, an’ took our horse an’ ran for Robert.  He was in the country but Sam brought another doctor real quick, an’ he seemed to fetch Pa out of it in good shape, so we thought he’d be all right, mebby by morning, though the doctor said he’d have to hole up a day or two.  He went away, promisin’ to send Robert back, and Hiram went home to feed.  I set by Pa fanning him an’ putting cloths on his head.  All at once he began to chill.

“We thought it was only the way a-body was with sunstroke, and past pilin’ on blankets, we didn’t pay much attention.  He said he was all right, so I went to milk.  Before I left I gave him a drink, an’ he asked me to feel in his pants pocket an’ get the key an’ hand him the deed box, till he’d see if everything was right.  Said he guessed he’d had a close call.  You know how he was.  I got him the box and went to do the evening work.  I hurried fast as I could.  Coming back, clear acrost the yard I smelt burning wool, an’ I dropped the milk an’ ran.  I dunno no more about just what happened ’an you do.  The house was full of smoke.  Pa was on the floor, most to the sitting-room door, his head and hair and hands awfully burned, his shirt burned off, laying face down, and clear gone.  The minute I seen the way he laid, I knew he was gone.  The bed was pourin’ smoke and one little blaze about six inches high was shootin’ up to the top.  I got that out, and then I saw most of the fire was smothered between the blankets where he’d thrown them back to get out of the bed.  I dunno why he fooled with the lamp.  It always stood on the little table in his reach, but it was light enough to read fine print.  All I can figure is that the light was going out of his eyes, an’ he thought it was GETTIN’ dark, so he tried to light the lamp to see the deeds.  He was fingerin’ them when I left, but he didn’t say he couldn’t see them.  The lamp was just on the bare edge of the table, the wick way up an’ blackened, the chimney smashed on the floor, the bed afire.”