s McHurdie once wrote some query like this,
and the whole town smiled at his fancy. In that portion of his
"Complete Poetical and Philosophical Works" called "Fragments" occur
these lines:--

"The wise men say
This world spins 'round the universe of which it is a part;
But anyway--
The only world I know about is spun from out my heart."

And perhaps Watts, sewing away in his harness shop, had deciphered one
letter in the riddle of the Sphinx.

CHAPTER XII

"If I ever get to be a Turk or anything like that," said Watts
McHurdie, in October, two months after the events recorded in the last
chapter had occurred, as he sat astraddle of his bench, sewing on a
bridle, "I'm going to have one red-headed wife--but not much more'n
one."

Colonel Culpepper dropped a "Why?" into the reflections of the poet.

Watts replied, "Oh, just to complete the set!"

The colonel did not answer and Watts chuckled: "I figure out that
women are a study. You learn this one and pat yourself on the
breast-bone and say, 'Behold me, I'm on to women.' But you ain't.
Another comes along and you have to begin at the beginning and learn
'em all over. I wonder if Solomon who had a thousand--more or
less--got all his wisdom from them."

The colonel shook his head, and said sententiously, "Watts--they
hain't a blame thing in it--not a blame thing." The creaking of the
treadle on Watt's bench slit the silence for a few moments, and the
colonel went on: "There can be educated fools about women, Watts
McHurdie, just as there are educated fools about books. There's
nothing in your theory of a liberal education in women. On the
contrary, in all matters relating to and touching on affairs of the
heart--beware of the man with one wife."

McHurdie flashed his yellow-toothed smile upon his friend and replied,
"Or less than one?"

"No, sir, just one," answered Colonel Culpepper. "A man with a raft of
wives, first and last, is like a fellow with good luck--the Lord
never gives him anything else. And I may say in point of fact, that
the man with no wife is like a man with bad luck--the Lord never
gives him anything else, either!" The colonel slapped his right hand
on his knee and exclaimed: "Watts McHurdie--what's the matter with
you, man? Don't you see Nellie's all ready and waitin'--just fairly
honin', and longin', I may say, for a home and a place to begin to
live?"

McHurdie gave his treadle a jam and swayed forward o