ontrary, and she dared
Susan to use the word about her, or Mr. Battle either. And she rattled on
in her violent and excited way and was on the verge of the hystericals now
and again. And for my life I couldn't tell if she was pleased as Punch
about it, or in a proper tearing rage. I don't think she knew herself how
she felt.

We poured some sloe gin into her and calmed her down, and then my eldest
son took her home; and when he came back, he said that Bob Battle had gone
to bed.

"I looked in where he sleeps," said my son, "and Bob was in his shirt,
quite calm and composed, saying his prayers."

"Trust him for being calm and composed," I said. "None ever saw him
otherwise. He's a ruler of men for certain, but whether he's a ruler of
women remains to be seen--for that's a higher branch of larning, as we all
know."

Next day I went over and had a tell with Bob, and he said it weren't so
much my business as I appeared to think.

"There's no doubt it flurried us both a lot," he told me. "To you, as an
old married man, 'tis nothing; but for us, bachelor and spinster as we
are, it was a great adventure. But these things will out and I'm sorry she
took it so much to heart. 'Twas the surprise, I reckon--and me green at
the game. However, she'll get over it--give her time."

He didn't offer no apology nor nothing like that.

"Well," I said--in two minds what to say--"she've made it clear what her
feelings were, so I'll ask you not to let it occur again."

"She made it clear her feelings were very much upheaved," answered Bob;
"but she didn't make it clear what her feelings were; because she didn't
say 'yes' and she didn't say 'no.'"

"You don't understand nothing about women," I replied to him, "so you can
take it from me that 'tis no good trying no more. She's far too old in her
own opinion. In a word you shocked her. She was shaking like an aspen leaf
when she ran over to me."

Bob Battle nodded.

"I may have been carried away and forced it on to her too violent, or I
may have put it wrong," he said. "'Tis an interesting subject; but we'd
better let it rest."

So nothing more was heard of that affair at the time; though Bob stopped
on, and Mary never once alluded to the thing afterwards. In fact, it was
sinking to a nine days' wonder with us, when blessed if she didn't fly
over once more--this time in the middle of a January afternoon.

"He's done it again!" she shouted out to me, where I stood shifting muck
i