Do with me as you will."
It was already as though it were done.
My soul felt freer, quieter than it had in years; already I seemed to dwell in abiding peace again as I rode on.
To either side I saw His hand; in my heart I could hear His voice:
"Courage.
I am with thee."
Then I reached Tull's house.
His youngest girl came out and called to me as I was passing.
She told me that she was already dead.
"I have sinned, O Lord.
Thou knowest the extent of my remorse and the will of my spirit.
But He is merciful; He will accept the will for the deed, Who knew that when I framed the words of my confession it was to Anse I spoke them, even though he was not there.
It was He in His infinite wisdom that restrained the tale from her dying lips as she lay surrounded by those who loved and trusted her; mine the travail by water which I sustained by the strength of His hand.
Praise to Thee in Thy bounteous and omnipotent love; O praise.
I entered the house of bereavement, the lowly dwelling where another erring mortal lay while her soul faced the awful and irrevocable judgment, peace to her ashes.
"God's grace upon this house," I said.
Darl.
On the horse he rode up to Armstid's and came back on the horse, leading Arrnstid's team.
We hitched up and laid Cash on top of Addie.
When we laid him down he vomited again, but he got his head over the wagon bed in time.
"He taken a lick in the stomach, too," Vernon said.
"The horse may have kicked him in the stomach too," I said.
"Did he kick you in the stomach, Cash?"
He tried to say something.
Dewey Dell wiped his mouth again.
"What's he say?" Vernon said.
"What is it, Cash?" Dewey Dell said. She leaned down.
"His tools," she said.
Vernon got them and put them into the wagon.
Dewey Dell lifted Cash's head so he could see.
We drove on, Dewey Dell and I sitting beside Cash to steady him and he riding on ahead on the horse.
Vernon stood watching us for a while.
Then he turned and went back toward the bridge.
He walked gingerly, beginning to flap, the wet sleeves of his shirt as though he had just got wet.
He was sitting the horse before the gate.
Armstid was waiting at the gate.
We stopped and he got down and we lifted Cash down and carried him into the house, where Mrs Armstid had the bed ready.
We left her and Dewey Dell undressing him.
We followed pa out to the wagon.
He went back and got into the wagon and drove on, we following on foot, into the lot.
The wetting had helped, because Armstid said,
"You're welcome to the house.
You can put it there."
He followed, leading the horse, and stood beside the wagon, the reins in his hand.
"I thank you," pa said.
"We'll use in the shed yonder.
I know it's a imposition on you."
"You're welcome to the house," Armstid said.
He had that wooden look on his face again; that bold, surly, high-colored rigid look like his face and eyes were two colors of wood, the wrong one pale and the wrong one dark.
His shirt was beginning to dry, but it still clung close upon him when he moved.