"What's the
meanin' of this?"
"I knowed she was somewheres Tuesday," Scattergood said, impersonally.
"Didn't know where, but I mistrusted she'd been to that place frequent.
Jest got in and give her her head. She brought me.... Asa Levens is
dead."
"Dead!" said Jed Briggs in a hushed voice.
"He deserved to die.... He deserved to die.... He deserved to die ..."
the young woman repeated shrilly, hysterically.
"Was you in town to lodge Tuesday night, Jed?"
"Yes."
"Asa come every lodge night, Mis' Briggs?"
"He always came--when Jed was here and when Jed was away.... When Jed
was here he'd jest set eyin' me and eyin' me ... and when Jed was gone
he--he talked...."
"Asa owned the mortgage on the place," said Jed, as if that explained
something. Scattergood nodded comprehension.
"Keep up your int'rest, Jed?"
"Year behind. Asa was threatenin' foreclosure."
"Threatened to throw us offn the place ... ag'in and ag'in he
threatened--and we'd 'a' starved, 'cause Jed hain't strong. It's me does
most of the work.... What we got into this place is all we got on
earth ... and he threatened to take it."
"He come Tuesday night," said Scattergood, as a prompter speaks.
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