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So, and then he would come out to sit with me for an hour or two

One night, along about four aht I heard his soft tread on the floorboards

I looked up It was Moody standing there

“Mind a little company?” she said

“I don’t mind,” I said

She sat down on the bench beside the rocker A foot or tay from me—a safe distance

We sat in our usual silence for a while Finally I broke it “I’ve been busting to ask you a question, Moody”

“Wouldn’t want you to bust,” she said “What is it?”

“Is that the only dress you own?”

She burst out laughing, one of the few tih

It was the same white jumper she’d worn the day I met her and every day since Soh she never seemed to take it off

“Well, if you really want to know, I got three of these dresses,” she said “All three just alike Of all the questions you could have asked me, that’s the one you picked?” she said “You are one peculiar man, Mr Corbett”

“I sure wish you would call randfather calls me Ben now”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t do everything he does,” she said “I’ll just keep on calling you Mr Corbett”

At first I thought it was ht around her face, lighting up her dark eyes Then I realized that it was dawn breaking, the first streak of gray in the sky