"
Sarah said nothing for a moment. If Abe went away to stay, the cabin
would seem mighty lonesome. She would miss him terribly. But she wanted
him to do whatever was best for him.
"Mr. Offut said he'd pay me fifteen dollars a month," Abe added.
That was more money than he had ever earned, thought Sarah. And now that
he was over twenty-one, he could keep his wages for himself. "I reckon
you'll be leaving soon," she said aloud.
"Yes, Ma, I will." Telling her was harder than Abe had expected. "It is
high time that I start out on my own."
Sarah set to work to get his clothes ready. He was wearing his only pair
of jeans, and there wasn't much else for him to take. She washed his
shirts and the extra pair of socks that she had knit for him. He wrapped
these up in a big cloth and tied the bundle to the end of a long stick.
The next morning he was up early. After he told the rest of the family
good-by, Sarah walked with him to the gate.
Abe thrust the stick with his bundle over his shoulder. He had looked
forward to starting out on his own--and now he was scared. Almost as
scared as he had felt on that cold winter afternoon when his new mother
had first arrived in Pigeon Creek.
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