None dared to follow her . Carl White went home and sent his wife over to her . Cynthia found Thyra sitting in her accustomed chair . Her hands lay , palms upward , on her lap . Her eyes were dry and burning . She met Cynthia 's compassionate look with a fearful smile . `` Long ago , Cynthia White , '' she said slowly , `` you were vexed with me one day , and you told me that God would punish me yet , because I made an idol of my son , and set it up in His place . Do you remember ? Your word was a true one . God saw that I loved Chester too much , and He meant to take him from me . I thwarted one way when I made him give up Damaris . But one ca n't fight against the Almighty . It was decreed that I must lose him -- if not in one way , then in another . He has been taken from me utterly . I shall not even have his grave to tend , Cynthia . '' `` As near to a mad woman as anything you ever saw , with her awful eyes , '' Cynthia told Carl , afterwards . But she did not say so there . Although she was a shallow , commonplace soul , she had her share of womanly sympathy , and her own life had not been free from suffering . It taught her the right thing to do now . She sat down by the stricken creature and put her arms about her , while she gathered the cold hands in her own warm clasp .
The tears filled her big , blue XXXXX and her voice trembled as she said : `` Thyra , I 'm sorry for you .
None arms creature eyes hands home lap palms son word