igglin' aroun'
on the ground an' a-shinin' in the sun, an' the' was white keys an'
black keys an' the greatest lot o' them little woolly things that
strikes the strings all mixed up with little bits o' mahogany an' nuts
an' bolts an' little scraps o' red flannel an' leather, an' pegs an'
bits o' iron that didn't look as if it had ever been any part o' the
machine. It was the dernedest mess! I picked up somethin' Jess said was
a pedal,--a little piece o' shiny iron about as long as that,--'n' that
was the only thing that seemed to have any shape left to it. The litter
didn't make any pile at all--jest a lot o' siftin' sawdust-stuff
scattered aroun' on the rocks.

"'She struck tol'able hard,' says I, lookin' at Jud. But he don't say
nothin'; jest stan's over there on the side o' the rock an' looks as if
he'd like to jump off another fifty feet the' was there.

"'Don't take it like that, Jud,' says Jess, grabbin' holt o' him an' not
payin' any 'tention to my bein' there. 'Cry, cuss, swear--anything, but
don't be so solemn-like. It's my fault, Juddie dear--all my fault. Can
yeh ever, ever fergive me? Yeh said yeh didn't think it was safe, an' I
kep' a-goadin' yeh to it; an' now----' She broke out a-blubberin' an'
a-bellerin' again, an' he puts his arm aroun' her an' smiles, an' says
soft-like:

"'It don't matter much. I can raise the money an' buy a new one fer Mis'
Sneath. How much do they cost?' says he.

"'Oh, I dunno! Five hundred dollars, I think. It's an awful lot o'
money!'

"'Wal, I got three-fifty saved up,--you know what fer,--an' I can raise
the rest an' put a new pianner in the place o' that one,' says he.

"He looks at the wreck, an' fer the first time I sees his eyes is jest a
little damp.

"They didn't either of 'em seem to take any notice o' me, an' I didn't
feel that I counted, nohow.

"'An' we cain't git married,' says Jud, sorrowful-like, 'fer ever so
long. There'll be nothin' to house-keep on till I can save up some
more.'

"'Yes, we can, too,' says she. 'I don't keer if yeh ain't got so much as
a piece o' bale-rope.'

"'But yer paw?'

"'I don't keer,' says she, very hard-like, a-stampin' her foot. 'He can
like it or lump it.'

"Wal, I sneaks away an' leaves 'em there, an' by an' by they comes up to
where I sets on top o' the boat, an' Jud isn't so plumb gloomy as I
thinks he'd be.

"Him an' her goes down ter Fresno nex' day an' buys one o' that same
identical make o' pianners an' has