"She's just come to herself, I tell you." "Father's dead and mother's crazy, and Doctor Prescott has got the mortgage," wailed Elmira, in an utter rebellion of grief.
Jerome caught her by the arm and pulled her after him at a run, out of the shed, into the cool spring morning air.

So early in the day, with no stir of life except the birds in sight or sound, the new grass and flowering branches and blooming distances seemed like the unreal heaven of a dream; and, indeed, nothing save their own dire strait of life was wholly tangible and met them but with shocks of unfamiliar things.
Jerome, out in the yard, took his sister by both arms, piteously slender and cold through their thin gingham sleeves, and shook her hard, and shook her again.
"Jerome Edwards, what--you doin'-- so--for ?" she gasped.
"'Ain't you got anything to you?
'Ain't you got anything to you at all ?" said Jerome, fiercely.
"I--don't know what you mean! Don't, Jerome--don't! Oh, Jerome, I'm 'fraid you're crazy, like mother ?" "'Ain't you got enough to you," said Jerome, still shaking her as if she had not spoken, "to control your feelin's and do up the housework nice, and not kill mother ?" "Yes, I will--I'll be just as good as I can.

You know I will.

Don't, Jerome! I 'ain't cried before mother this mornin'.

You know I 'ain't." "You cried loud enough, just now in the shed, so she could hear you." "I won't again.