"He treated himself worse," said Mattie, with a little awakening of
sharpness.

"So he done. So he done.... Um!... Eight year he's been gone, and you
was twenty when he went, wa'n't ye? Twenty?"

"Yes."

"Hain't never had a feller since?"

She shook her head. "I'm an old maid, Mr. Baines."

"I've heard tell of older," he said, dryly. "Wisht you'd tell me why you
let sich a scalawag up and ruin your life fer ye?"

"He wasn't a scalawag--till _then_."

"You hain't thinkin' he was accused of suthin' he didn't do?"

"He told me he took the money. He came to see me before he ran away."

"Do tell!" This was news to Scattergood. Neither he nor any other was
aware that Mavin Newton had seen or been seen by a soul after the
commission of his crime.

"He told me," she repeated, "and he said good-by.... But he never told
me why. That's what's been hurtin' me and troublin' me all these years.
He didn't tell me why he done it, and I hain't ever been able to figger
it out."