He did not know whether she
did it on purpose, or why she did it, but somehow it said to him
that she was his friend, and he did not feel so much afraid.
When she was gone, however, he returned to the weather for
conversation; but when Statira said it was lucky for her that the
winter held off so, he made out to inquire about her sickness, and
she told him that she had caught a heavy cold; at first it seemed
just to be a head-cold, but afterwards it seemed to settle on the
lungs, and it seemed as if she never _could_ throw it off; they
had had the doctor twice; but now she was better, and the cough was
nearly _all_ gone.
"I guess I took the cold that day, from havin' the window open," she
concluded; and she passed her hand across her lap, and looked down
demurely, and then up at the ceiling, and her head twitched a little
and trembled.
Lemuel knew that his hour had come, if ever it were to come, and he
said hoarsely: "I guess if I made you take cold that day, it wasn't
all I did. I guess I did worse than that."
She did not look at him and pretend ignorance, as 'Manda Grier would
have done; but lifting her moist eyes and then dropping them, she
said, "Why, Mr. Barker, what can you mean?"
"You know what I mean," he retorted, with courage astonishing to
him. "It was because I liked you so much." He could not say loved;
it seemed too bold.
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