She was gentle and sympathetic with him, and for the first time in many years he would come to sit with her and talk, when he had finished his day's work.

He had told her, evading her eye, "Oh, I don't blame you.

You didn't get after me to do this on your own account; you couldn't help it." "Yes; but it don't wear off," he complained.

"This afternoon I was showing the men how I wanted my vats to go, and I caught my fool self standing there saying to my fool self, 'It's funny I don't hear how he feels about it from SOMEbody.' I was saying it aloud, almost--and it IS funny I don't hear anything!" "Well, you see what it means, don't you, Virgil?
It only means he hasn't said anything to anybody about it.

Don't you think you're getting kind of morbid over it ?" "Maybe, maybe," he muttered.
"Why, yes," she said, briskly.