The children came to seek her and stood around like little partridges, looking at her in scared silence, till at last the little one began to wail.

Then the mother rose wearily to her feet, and walked slowly back toward the house.
She heard Burns threshing his team at the well, with the sound of oaths.
He was tired, hungry and ill-tempered, but she was too desperate to care.

His poor, overworked team did not move quickly enough for him, and his extra long turn in the corn had made him dangerous.

His eyes gleamed wrathfully from his dust-laid face.
"Supper ready ?" he growled.
"Yes, two hours ago." "Well, I can't help it!" he said, understanding her reproach.

"That devilish corn is gettin' too tall to plow again, and I've got 'o go through it to-morrow or not at all.