She went from the beginning to the end in a breath.

No protest stopped her; nothing stopped her.
"You ought to let me die!" she wailed.

"It's cruel not to let me die! What harm have I ever done to anybody that you want to keep me alive?
Just look at my life! I only married Roscoe to get away from home, and look what that got me into!--look where I am now! He brought me to this town, and what did I have in my life but his FAMILY?
And they didn't even know the right crowd! If they had, it might have been SOMETHING! I had nothing--nothing--nothing in the world! I wanted to have a good time--and how could I?
Where's any good time among these Sheridans?
They never even had wine on the table! I thought I was marrying into a rich family where I'd meet attractive people I'd read about, and travel, and go to dances--and, oh, my Lord! all I got was these Sheridans! I did the best I could; I did, indeed! Oh, I DID! I just tried to live.

Every woman's got a right to live, some time in her life, I guess! Things were just beginning to look brighter--we'd moved up here, and that frozen crowd across the street were after Jim for their daughter, and they'd have started us with the right people--and then I saw how Edith was getting him away from me.

She did it, too! She got him! A girl with money can do that to a married woman--yes, she can, every time! And what could I do?
What can any woman do in my fix?
I couldn't do ANYTHING but try to stand it--and I couldn't stand it! I went to that icicle--that Vertrees girl--and she could have helped me a little, and it wouldn't have hurt her.