The Heart's Kingdom

And all Goodloets mourned, crying for her children, and would not be

comforted. The second day after the storm the dead were buried. Mr.

Goodloe, with old Mr. Stokes, the Presbyterian minister, on one hand,

and the Baptist student preacher on the other, stood in the center of

the beautiful city of the dead, over which the storm had passed

unheeding, and had services for the rich and the poor alike. With the

same ceremonial were buried Mark Morgan and Jacob Ensley, and the girl

mother, Ted Montgomery, who had been struck down by the falling sign of

the Bank and Trust Company on Main Street, and a score of others.

Then after all the tears had been shed and the sobs had ceased, all the

flowers strewn and the reluctant feet had left the silent city, I went

over behind the tall cedars into a corner and knelt beside Martha

Ensley, who had flung herself down across the new-made grave that held

all that was left of Jacob Ensley, the man who had bulwarked sin in his

Settlement and menaced all of Goodloets for many a year. The wide-eyed

boy crouched beside her and I took his hand in mine.

"Martha," I said, as I bent beside her in the twilight. "I want you to

come home with me, you and Sonny. Your place is there now and you must

bring him." All day I had thought and I had prayed to be aided in doing

what I knew was best.

"Oh, no, Miss Charlotte, no," she said, and shrank from my arms.

"Yes, Martha," I said, and drew her closer.

"It happened the summer we were all first grown and you were in Europe.

I couldn't fight him off. I knew he belonged to you and I loved you,

but I couldn't fight him off," she sobbed and the Stray's little arms

went around her neck.

"I'll fight fer you--I'll fight," he said, with brave, wonderment in his

eyes and voice.

"I went away this summer and I wanted to stay. Mr. Goodloe tried to help

me, but Nickols found where I was and made me come back. It was wrong to

you and I knew it. I stayed shut up in my room, but he would come. And I

sent him to his death. He was yours and I killed him for you! Please go

away and leave me!" And again Martha cowered away from me.

"Nobody need know you are in the house, Martha, but you must come with

me," I said, and I spoke with such quiet authority that she rose and

followed me out of the shadows into the starlit night which had come

down over stricken Goodloets. I found Billy waiting for me in his car

and he spoke gently to Martha and settled her and the boy on the back

seat with never a question in his kind eyes.