Bryce carried Patsy back to the house.  Her grief lasted for the rest of the day.  She cried until she finally drifted off to sleep shortly after dark.  She would not

            The next morning Bryce rose from the pallet he had laid out on the floor and smelled the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and biscuits baking on the fireplace hearth.

            “What`s this?” he asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

            “Momma`s gone.  It`s only me now so someone is going to have to do the cooking and cleaning.  You have your outside work so the inside work is left to me.”

            Patsy looked at her father and gave him a beautiful smile.  Bryce marveled at how at his daughter had come to terms with the death of her mother and baby brother.

            “Patsy, honey, you don`t have to do all this”

            “Then who will tend to the housekeeping if not me.  It`s not as if we can afford to place an advertisement in the paper to hire a housekeeper.”

            “Well, that`s true.  You stayed with the Reillys in Droonghalla while mother and Benjamin were sick.  I could ask Clara Beth if she could come out and help with the cleaning and cooking.”

            Bryce became peeved when he saw Patsy start shaking her head.

            “Why are you shaking your head?”

            “Papa, Mrs. Reilly has four children of her own along with Mr. Reilly and his hired hand- don`t ask me name.  They seem to have a full plate already.  They should be the last people to ask.”