wuz a honest man, thet the
son is natchelly obleeged to be honest too. But with all this drawin'
uv the wool ovah ole Hiram's eyes, Jeemes hain't succeedin' egzactly
with the gal, an' he's cute 'nough to see whah the hitch is; so he uses
his influence with her pap to belittle an' backbite the one she does
favor. Mark my words, thet slick-tongued lawyer is et the bottom uv a
lot o' this devilment."

"I never did thoroughly trust that fellow," exclaimed Abner, "but I've
no proof against him; so what can be done?"

"No, you hain't no proof," returned Rogers, thoughtfully, "and mayby we
mistrust him wrongful. So, fur the present," he added with quaint
humor, "whut you got to do is to jes' fire low an' save yo' waddin'.
'Sides, ef Betsy loves you, an' you're both patient, things is bound to
come out right in the eend."

"As for patience," Abner rejoined, "just think how long I've waited
already. This state of things must not go on much longer, for Betty's
sake as well as for mine."

"See here, my boy," said Rogers, quickly, a new gentleness in look and
tone, "you hain't thought uv this thing in all its bearin's."

"Yes, I have. I've thought of nothing else for months," Abner responded
gloomily.

"No, thah's one p'int you've ovahlooked," pursued the older man. "It's
how ole Hiram will treat her, ef you an' her persists in goin' ag'in
him; an' ef you love Betsy strong an' tendah, you'll hafto begin to
think on it. Why, boy, that's the only way to spell love--to kiver self
out o' sight, an' think only uv the peace an' well-bein' uv the gal
whut hez given her heart intah yer keepin'. Hiram's a kind fathah
usually, an' thet gal o' his'n is lak his very eyeballs to him; but
thet very love an' pride he hez fur her will mek him more ovahbearin'
an' obstrep'rous, ef she persists in open disregawd o' his wishes an'
commands; an' thah's no tellin' how mean he might git. He might even
lock her up."

"If I thought that----" cried Abner. "But he's not so much of a villain
as that, for all his dictatorialness and his insulting treatment of
me."

"But he hain't in his senses jes' now, I tell you," replied Rogers,
judicially. "Thah's no tellin' how much uv a brute he may act, an' it's
her we should be thinkin' uv."

"By heaven," Abner exclaimed, starting up, "if I thought he'd ever
mistreat Betty, I'd----"

"You'd whut?"

"I'd run away with her," he answered, facing Rogers as he spoke. "If a
father abuses his authority, he no