Now he was not. Where he lost control he did not know. He had tried
several times to return to the subject of how to bring back
happiness to Mary, and Jimmy immediately developed symptoms of
another attack of heart disease, a tendency to start for town, or
openly defied him by walking away. Yet, Jimmy stuck to him closer
than he ever had, and absolutely refused to go anywhere, or to do
the smallest piece of work alone. Sometimes he grew sullen and
morose when he was not drinking, and that was very unlike the gay
Jimmy. Sometimes he grew wildly hilarious, as if he were bound to
make such a racket that he could hear no sound save his own voice.
So long as he stayed at home, helped with the work, and made an
effort to please Mary, Dannie hoped for the best, but his hopes
never grew so bright that they shut out an awful fear that was
beginning to loom in the future. But he tried in every way to
encourage Jimmy, and help him in the struggle he did not
understand, so when he saw that Jimmy was disappointed about the
fishing, he suggested that he should go alone.
"I guess not!" said Jimmy. "I'd rather go to confission than to go
alone. What's the fun of fishin' alone? All the fun there is to
fishin' is to watch the other fellow's eyes when you pull in a big
one, and try to hide yours from him when he gets it. I guess not!
What have we got to do?"
"Finish cutting the corn, and get in the pumpkins before there
comes frost enough to hurt them."
"Well, Come along!" said Jimmy.
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