Chapter 11

Summary

Part 1

Charles and Adam still disagreed about many things. Adam wanted to spend their inheritance, traveling to Egypt or Paris. Charles was not interested. He did, however, show Adam more respect after he learned about his being on a chain gang.

Charles went outside one morning and found Cathy on the stoop, covered in mud and blood. Although he brought her inside, he wanted to take her to town even if the trip killed her, for he did not want to do anything to spoil his good reputation. In contrast, Adam wanted to help Cathy and insisted they take her to his room. Charles agreed and went for the doctor. As Adam stood watch over Cathy, he remembered his stepmother standing over him tending to his wounds inflicted by Charles. Adam also spoke to Cathy in a soothing voice, assuring her he will take care of her.

Part 2

The doctor tended Cathy as best he could, but she was severely wounded. He wanted to bring the sheriff out because it was clear that someone had tried to kill Cathy. Adam did not want the sheriff to bother Cathy. When Charles urged him to let the sheriff see Cathy, Adam said it was likely she had lost her memory because of the deep wounds on her head. Cathy heard his comment and decided to act as if she could not remember anything.

It was finally decided that the sheriff must come. When he tried to question Cathy, she could not speak since her jaw was broken; instead, she responded with paper and pen. She clearly wrote that she did not know anything and asked the sheriff for his help. By he time he left, Cathy was sure that "she had won the sheriff." Charles was a different story. It was clear that he did not trust her.

Part 3

Adam was delighted to have Cathy at the farm, but Charles was miserable. One day while Adam was out, Charles told Cathy he did not believe that she had lost her memory. When she asked him what he planned to do with her, he said he was going to make her leave in a week to ten days. He then told her she had talked a lot in her delirium, divulging things about her past. Cathy believed him. When he left her, he laughed that she was gullible enough to believe him.

Part 4

Cathy was frightened about Charles even though she felt a kinship with him. She believed he was the only person she had ever met "who played it her way." Adam, however, was easy to manipulate. She told him she had never lost her memory, but pretended that she had because she was alone and afraid. He told her not to worry, that he would take care of her. Adam then asked Cathy to marry him. She told him she needed to think about it and asked him not to tell Charles he had proposed. She did not really want to be married, but she thought it would be a good refuge for a while. She also smiled at the thought of Charles finding out.

Part 5

When Adam went out to the field to talk to his brother, Charles told him that Alex Platt, a neighboring farmer, had found a suitcase full of clothes and four thousand dollars. The suitcase had no identification, and none of the clothes had labels in them. Alex had also told Charles that the town was talking about them for having a woman living in their house. Charles told Adam he did not like Cathy and wanted her to leave. Adam asked Charles to give him one more week and then he would get Cathy out.

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