Mary Call tries to draw strength from the beauty of the land, seeing it as proof that God is there with them as they work early in the cold, grey mornings. She struggles with the existence of God since she thinks that no one is ever there to help her; all she really has is herself.

One afternoon, the children take the plants they harvested to the General Store to sell to Mr. Connell; Romey buys a nice, new pair of shoes. Mrs. Connell makes snooty remarks, and Romey is determined to deal with her in a way that does not involve violence. He decides to do something with an old bearskin.

At school, Mary Call is tired from staying up all night reading and studying. To Romey’s chagrin, she declines the Graybeals’ offer of a ride back toward home in the heavy rain. Romey fears this loneliness will last forever, and Mary Call cannot think of anything comforting to say.

That night, Mrs. Connell drives by, and the siblings shift things around in the house so that it looks like Roy Luther is alive and lives there. Mrs. Connell doesn’t stop to visit, however, and Mary Call realizes it is because of a black bear near their gate.