" The old man took the pipe out of his mouth,
spat, and went on:
"Yu see, 'e went away sudden one day, an' never come back. They got 'is
knapsack and bits o' things down there still. That's what stuck in my
mind--'is never sendin' for 'em. 'Is name was Ashes, or somethen' like
that."
"Yes?" said Ashurst once more.
The old man licked his lips.
"'Er never said nothin', but from that day 'er went kind of dazed
lukin'; didn'seem rightly therr at all. I never knu a'uman creature
so changed in me life--never. There was another young feller at the
farm--Joe Biddaford 'is name wer', that was praaperly sweet on 'er, tu;
I guess 'e used to plague 'er wi 'is attentions. She got to luke quite
wild. I'd zee her sometimes of an avenin' when I was bringin' up the
calves; ther' she'd stand in th' orchard, under the big apple tree,
lukin' straight before 'er. 'Well,' I used t'think, 'I dunno what 'tes
that's the matter wi' yu, but yu'm lukin' pittiful, that yu be!'"
The old man refit his pipe, and sucked at it reflectively.
"Yes?" said Ashurst.
"I remembers one day I said to 'er: 'What's the matter, Megan?'--'er
name was Megan David, she come from Wales same as 'er aunt, ol' Missis
Narracombe.
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