knocked into you. But you must not mind him now because he is angry
and will get over it. But Johnny, please do be a good boy now and
don't make us any more trouble. I am sure I never dreamed what you had
in mind, but I would have married you since we started to, but now it
is perfectly odious to have it turn out such a fizzle, with you in jail
and I being preached at every waking moment by dad and mommie. If you
had only kept your temper and waited until dad and mommie got here, I
am sure we would be married by now, because I could have made them give
their consent and be present at the Wedding and everything go off
pleasantly instead of such a horrid mess as this is.

"I want you to promise me now that you will be good, and I will make
dad get the judge to let you off. Won't you please see dad and be nice
to him? His calling you a d. fool does not mean anything. That is
dad's way when he is peeved, and the jailer says you told him dad could
go to h. That is why he said it and not on general principles, because
he does really like you, Johnny. Of course we could see you anyway,
because you couldn't help yourself, but dad won't do it unless you are
willing to be good. So please, dear, won't you let us come up and talk
nicely together? I am sure the sheriff bears no ill will though his
jaw is swelled a little but not much. So we can get you out of this
scrape if you will meet us halfway and be a nice sensible boy. Please,
Johnny.

"Your loving Mary V."

Johnny read that last paragraph three times, and gave a snort with each
reading. If being let off easy involved the intercession of Mary V's
father, Johnny would prefer imprisonment for life. At least, that is
what he told himself. And if being a nice sensible boy meant that he
was to apologize to the sheriff and say pretty please to Sudden, the
chance of Johnny's ever being nice and sensible was extremely remote.
His loving Mary V had said too much--a common mistake. What she should
have done was confine her letter to a ten-word message, and tear the
message up. A fellow in Johnny's frame of mind were better left alone
for a while.

He sulked until he was taken down into the police court, where his
crime was duly presented to the judge and his sentence duly pronounced.
Knowing nothing whatever of the seamy side of life, as it is seen
inside those dismal houses with barred windows, Johnny thought he was
being treated with much severity. As a matt