he revenuers captured him--he war
a-runnin' a still in Tanglefoot then--an' they kep' him in jail somewhar
in the North fur five year. Waal, she waited toler'ble constant fur
two or three year, but Ebenezer Yerby he kem a-visitin' his kin down in
Tanglefoot Cove, an' she an' him met at a bran dance, an' the fust thing
I hearn they war married, an' 'fore Hil'ry got back she war dead an'
buried, an' so war Ebenezer."

There was a pause while the flames roared in the furnace, and the
falling water desperately dashed upon the rocks, and its tumultuous
voice continuously pervaded the silent void wildernesses without, and
the sibilant undertone, the lisping whisperings, smote the senses anew.

"He met up with cornsider'ble changes fur five year," remarked one of
the men, regarding the matter in its chronological aspect.

Nehemiah said nothing. He had heard the story before, but it had been
forgotten. A worldly mind like his is not apt to burden itself with
the sentimental details of an antenuptial romance of the woman whom his
half-brother had married many years ago.

A persuasion that it was somewhat unduly long-lived impressed others of
the party.

"It's plumb cur'us Hil'ry ain't never furgot her," observed one of them.
"He hev never married at all. My wife says it's jes contrariousness.
Ef Mal-viny hed been his wife an' died, he'd hev married agin 'fore the
year war out. An' I tell my wife that he'd hev been better acquainted
with her then, an' would hev fund out ez no woman war wuth mournin'
'bout fur nigh twenty year. My wife says she can't make out ez how
Hil'ry 'ain't got pride enough not ter furgive her fur givin' him the
mitten like she done. An' I tell my wife that holdin' a gredge agin a
woman fur bein' fickle is like holdin' a gredge agin her fur bein' a
woman."

He paused with an air, perceived somehow in the brown dusk, of having
made a very neat point. A stir of assent was vaguely suggested when some
chivalric impulse roused a champion at the farther side of the worm,
whose voice rang out brusquely:

"Jes listen at Tom! A body ter hear them tales he tells 'bout argufyin'
with his wife would 'low he war a mighty smart, apt man, an' the pore
foolish 'oman skeercely hed a sensible word ter bless herself with.
When everybody that knows Tom knows he sings mighty small round home. Ye
stopped too soon, Tom. Tell what yer wife said to that."

Tom's embarrassed feet shuffled heavily on the rocks, apparently in