"I love ye, honey," she said with admiring tenderness.

"Ye' 're sich ez all women orter be.

Ye 'll make heroes of yer husband and sons.

Ye 've yit ter l'arn though, thet the most of a woman's life, an' the hardest part of hit, is ter wait." In her fervid state of mind Rachel responded electrically to this loving advance, made at the moment of all others when she felt most in need of sympathy and love.

She put her strong arms around Aunt Debby, and held her for a moment close to her heart.