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           Bentley?"

           "He’sbeengonealongtime.Ifhewerehere,he’dtellyouhowyoungandprettyIwaswhenIwastwenty-two."

           "Buthe’snothereandhecan’ttell,sowhatdoesthatprove?"

           "Ihaveamarriagecertificate."

           "Youcouldhaveborrowedthat,too.OnlywayI’llbelieveyouwereeveryoung"-Janeshuthereyestoemphasizehowsureshewasofherself—"isifyouhavesomeonesaytheysawyouwhenyouwereten."

           "Thousandsofpeoplesawmebutthey’redead,youlittlefool—orill,inothertowns.Idon’tknowasoulhere,justmovedhereafewyearsago,sonoonesawmeyoung."

           "Well,thereyouare!"Janeblinkedathercompanions."Nobodysawher!"

           "Listen!"Mrs.Bentleyseizedthegirl’swrist."Youmusttakethesethingsonfaith.Somedayyou’llbeasoldasI.Peoplewillsaythesame.‘Ohno,’they’llsay,‘thosevultureswereneverhummingbirds,thoseowlswereneverorioles,thoseparrotswereneverbluebirds!’Onedayyou’llbelikeme!"

           "No,wewon’t!"saidthegirls."Willwe?"theyaskedoneanother.

           "Waitandsee!"saidMrs.Bentley.

           Andtoherselfshethought,Oh,God,childrenarechildren,oldwomenareoldwomen,andnothinginbetweenTheycan’timagineachangetheycan’tsee.

           "Yourmother,"shesaidtoJane."Haven’tyounoticed,overtheyears,thechange?"

           "No,"saidJane."She’salwaysthesame.

           Andthatwastrue.Youlivedwithpeopleeverydayandtheyneveralteredadegree.