I reckon I loved her all
I was able to _then_, but there wasn't so much of me to love her with as
there is now. You see, Em'ly darlin', the dark waters has sort 'er
passed over me, and I ain't in my springtime no more. Then lovin' and
losin' does learn us a lot: but I ain't never goin' to care fer nobody
as I do fer you, 'cause nobody else'll ever understand me and match up
to me same as you do." But here Ambrose, sighing, pushed back his faded
straw-coloured hair with the old puzzled gesture. "Still, honey, ef
anything ever happens, I feel just obleeged to tell you, I reckon I'm
the kind that plumb couldn't live on this earth without lovin' some
one."

For a troubled instant Emily hesitated, and then with a sympathy so
perfect that it was to last for ever and ever, and with another
understanding laugh, she lifted up her head and kissed her truthful
lover.

So that by and by when the fire in the woods back of them had died down
they were both so happy that they neither saw nor heard the figure in
the papaw grove stealing along a few yards to one side of them, though
in the darkness of the tangled thicket it stumbled several times and for
want of a helping arm limped painfully along.

Nevertheless five minutes later Ambrose and Emily both jumped hurriedly
to their feet. For unexpectedly there sounded a noise as of many
persons approaching the log cabin along the route which Ambrose had just
taken. In another moment a procession came into sight and at the head
and front walked Mrs. Barrows in her best purple linsey petticoat and
scoop bonnet and carrying a basket on her arm. Following her were ten,
twenty, thirty or more of the leading citizens of Pennyroyal, male and
female, attired in their Sunday clothes and bearing packages.

"It's some kind of a forgiveness party," Ambrose whispered nervously;
"seems like I'd better hide," and once again he attempted to flatten his
thin body against the wall of the cabin.

Susan Barrows took Emily in her arms. "We're surprisin' you, child, and
I hope we're pleasant," she explained. "Fer my own part I ain't never
had nothin' happen to me suddint in my life that ain't been plumb
distasteful, so I argued some with the folks to let you know we was
comin'. But there's people in villages that finds things so slow and
samewise it appears they think any kind of a start's better then nothin'
happenin', so here we are!"

Susan's speech having been somewhat longer than her neighbours car