. Dave!--

DAVE. [_Hushing her._] Sh--

JOE. Well, I'll think it over and--

JIM. [_Positively._] No!

JOE. No?

JIM. _I_ can't fool with you, Joe; he gits the girl or we quit.

LIZBETH. An' the girl goes too.

JOE. What?

JIM. Yes, the girl goes too. [_Pause and smile._] It's your say, Joe.
[_Foot on chair._] Well, Joe, it's up to you.

JOE. [_Giving up._] Well, I can't help it.

JIM. [_Passing the approval to_ DAVE _and_ LIZBETH.] There's
your girl. And you've got a stiddy job! [DAVE _and_ LIZBETH _half
embrace._] What do you think of that? [_To_ JOE, _who is mechanically
looking at gumbo._] Thirty dollars per car.

JOE. [_Glad to change the subject._] Thirty, eh?

JIM. Every per car--and see here--Joe--

JOE. What?

JIM. [_Draws second paper from pocket._] I've fixed up a kind of a
resignation here.

JOE. Resignation?

JIM. Yes. I can't tend to this new business and do much work as
sheriff, so I'm goin' to resign the sheriff part of it.

JOE. You mustn' do it, Jim--why, you've been keepin' the district like
a prayer-meeting!

JIM. Well, somebody else kin sing the Doxology--you turn that into the
council fur me.

_Enter_ KATE _and_ MRS. VERNON.

MRS. VERNON. I've put my foot down, Kate,--you can't go.

KATE. I am going.

MRS. VERNON. Joe Vernon, it's time you took a hand a-managin' this
family.

JOE. What's the matter?

MRS. VERNON. I've told Kate she can't go out.

JOE. Well, ma,--Kate ain't a child.

MRS. VERNON. Your carelessness'll make her disgrace the whole family.

JOE. Hol' on, ma.

MRS. VERNON. I know what I'm talking about. I see that nigger give
Kate a letter.

JOE. Why, he don't know how to write.

MRS. VERNON. You don't suppose I think the nigger wrote it! It's from
someone else.

JOE. Who is it from, Kate?

KATE. I don't care to tell. I'm going out. [_Starts_.

MRS. VERNON. [_Interposes_.] No, Kate, you ain't.

JOE. Why, ma--if Kate wants to go walkin'--

MRS. VERNON. All right, she kin walk. But getting letters sneaked to
her, and going out to meet a man's another thing. [_Persuasively going
to her_.] Why don't you tell, Kate?

KATE. [_Down to end of table_.] No one has a right to my letters.

JOE. Of course not. No _right_, Kate, but your ma's naturally anxious,
and she's only tryin' for your good.

KATE. [_Ready to weep_.] I'm awfully tired of it.

JOE. But you kin tell me--you ain't ashamed of it, air you?

KATE. No, I'm not!

MRS. VERNON. It