He approached the door noiselessly. It was closed, as he had left it, and within everything was still. As he stood hesitating before it, his hand lifted to lay upon the latch, his heart laboring in painful lunges against his ribs, it opened without a sound, and Ollie stood before him against the background of dark.
The moonlight came down on him through the half-bare arbor, and fell in mottled patches around him where he stood, his hand still lifted, as if to help her on her way. Ollie caught her breath in a frightened start, and shrank back.
"You don't need to be afraid, Ollie--it's Joe," said he.
Each then waited as if for the other to speak, and the silence seemed long.
"Were you going out somewhere?" asked Joe.
"No; I forgot to put away a few things, and I came down," said she. "I woke up out of my sleep thinking of them," she added.
"Well!" said he, wonderingly. "Can I help you any, Ollie?"
"No; it's only some milk and things," she told him. "You know how Isom takes on if he finds anything undone. I was afraid he might come in tonight and see them."
"Well!" said Joe again, in a queer, strained way.
He was standing in the door, blocking it with his body, clenching the jamb with his hands on either side, as if to bar any attempt that she might make to pass.
"Will you strike a light, Ollie? I want to have a talk with you," said he gravely.
"Oh, Joe!" she protested, as if pleasantly scandalized by the request, intentionally misreading it.
"Have you got another match in your hand? Light the lamp."
"Oh, what's the use?" said she. "I only ran down for a minute. We don't need the light, do we, Joe? Can't you talk without it?"
"No; I want you to light the lamp," he insisted.
"I'll not do it!" she flared suddenly, turning as if to go to her room. "You've not got any right to boss me around in my own house!"
"I don't suppose I have, Ollie, and I didn't mean to," said he, stepping into the room.
Ollie retreated a few steps toward the inner door, and stopped. Joe could hear her excited breathing as he flung his hat on the table.
"Ollie, what I've got to say to you has to be said sooner or later tonight, and you'd just as well hear it now," said Joe, trying to assure her of his friendly intent by speaking softly, although his voice was tremulous. "Morgan's gone; he'll not be back--at least not tonight."