Again
the awful horror of herself overwhelmed her.
"You must have been mistaken," she heard Sophia say.
She muttered something, she scarcely knew what. Sophia then went
out of the room. Presently she undressed and went to bed. In the
morning she did not go down to breakfast, and when Sophia came to
inquire, requested that the stage be ordered for the noon train.
She said that she was sorry, but was ill, and feared lest she might
be worse, and she felt that she must return home at once. She
looked ill, and could not take even the toast and tea which Sophia
had prepared for her. Sophia felt a certain pity for her, but it
was largely mixed with indignation. She felt that she knew the
true reason for the school-teacher's illness and sudden departure,
and it incensed her.
"If folks are going to act like fools we shall never be able to
keep this house," she said to Amanda after Miss Stark had gone; and
Amanda knew what she meant.
Directly the widow, Mrs. Elvira Simmons, knew that the school-
teacher had gone and the southwest room was vacant, she begged to
have it in exchange for her own. Sophia hesitated a moment; she
eyed the widow sharply.
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