And all this was going on while the town was turning over in its bed, listening to the most tumultuous charivari that Sycamore Ridge has ever known.
Night after night that summer faithful Jake Dolan walked the streets of Sycamore Ridge with Bob Hendricks.

By day they lived apart, but at night the young man often would look up the elder, and they would walk and walk together, but never once did Hendricks mention Molly's name nor refer to her in any way; yet Jake Dolan knew why they walked abroad.

How did he know?
How do we know so many things in this world that are neither seen nor heard?
And the Irish--they have the drop of blood that defies mathematics; the Irish are the only people in the world whom kind Providence permits to add two and two together to make six.

"You say 'tis four," said Dolan, one night, as he and Hendricks stood on the bridge listening to the roar from the dam.

"I say 'tis six.