fer."

"As God in heaven is my judge, I do not, sir," exclaimed Abner.

"Do not call upon your Maker to witness your false protestations. Do
not add blasphemy and perjury to the rest of your iniquities. Marry my
daughter! You! I'd see her in her grave first!" By this time he had
worked himself into a frenzy; his face was purple and the veins of his
forehead were swollen and knotted like cords.

Abner, still apparently cool, though he could with difficulty restrain
himself, replied stoutly, "Nothing which I have done or intended can
justify your language to me, Major Gilcrest."

"Don't lie to me!" roared Gilcrest, "Don't I know what you have been
about, plotting vagabond!" and he shook his cowhide riding-whip in
Abner's face, causing the horse to rear and plunge.

The young man quieted his horse, then looked straight into Gilcrest's
eyes, his own blazing and his face gray with passion. "Hiram Gilcrest,
put down that whip. By God, sir, you shall retract your words!"

"I retract nothing," shouted Gilcrest, still brandishing the whip. "Get
out of my sight, before I demean myself by striking you!"

Abner leaned over, and with a sudden movement snatched the whip from
Gilcrest's hand, then flung it far over the fence into the adjoining
field. Trying to master his anger and speak calmly, he said: "Now
listen to me, Major Gilcrest. I love your daughter with an honorable
love--stop! stop! You shall hear me through! I love your daughter, and
the dearest wish of my life is to make her my wife; yet I should have
accepted your decision, painful though it would have been, hoping that
in time I could overcome your objections--be quiet! You shall listen to
me!--but now, when you will give no reason for objecting to me, and in
addition to this injustice heap opprobrious epithets upon me, I tell
you emphatically that I shall pay no regard whatsoever to your wishes.
Only Betsy herself shall decide. So long as she loves me and considers
herself my promised wife, I will see her whenever I can, and will write
to her whenever I have opportunity. But when she wishes to be free, I
will then, and not till then, return to her her plighted word. As for
you, you have forfeited all claim to consideration; you have grossly,
wantonly insulted me, and without the shadow of reason."

"Out of my sight, you impudent impostor!" cried Gilcrest, choking with
rage and shaking his fist at the young man. "You sneaking bastard, with
no right to the name y