he is bigger--don't be a-skeered. You
got tons of feelin's you ain't got no other use for--don't waste
'em--they're good green money, and we'll git efen wiss Sally's daddy for
licking me yit--and somesing on the side! Huh?"

[Footnote 2: Dumb ox--a term of reproach.]

At last it was evident that Seffy fully understood, and his father broke
into that discordant whistle once more.

"A gal that ken jump a six-rail fence--and wissout no running
start--don't let her git apast you!"

"Well, I'm going to set up with her to-night," said Seffy again, with a
huge ahem. And the tune his father whistled as he opened the door for
him sounded something like "I want to be an angel."

"But not to buy no pasture-land!" warned Seffy.

"Oach, no, of course not!" agreed his wily old father. "That's just one
of my durn jokes. But I expect I'll take the fence down to-morrow! Say,
Sef, you chust marry the gal. I'll take keer the fence!"

III

It took Seffy a long time to array himself as he had threatened. And
when it was all done you wouldn't have known him--you wouldn't have
cared to know him. For his fine yellow hair was changed to an ugly brown
by the patent hair-oil with which he had dressed it--and you would not
have liked its fragrance, I trust. Bergamot, I think it was. His fine
young throat was garroted within a starched standing collar, his feet
were pinched in creaking boots, his hands close-gauntleted in buckskin
gloves, and he altogether incomparable, uncomfortable, and triumphant.

Down stairs his father paced the floor, watch in hand. From time to time
he would call out the hour, like a watchman on a minaret. At last:

"Look a-yere, Seffy, it's about two inches apast seven--and by the time
you git there--say, _nefer_ gif another feller a chance to git there
afore you or to leave after you!"

Seffy descended at that moment with his hat poised in his left hand.

His father dropped his watch and picked it up.

Both stood at gaze for a moment.

"Sunder, Sef! You as beautiful as the sun, moon and stars--and as stinky
as seferal apothecary shops. Yere, take the watch and git along--so's
you haf some time wiss you--now git along! You late a'ready. Goshens!
You wass behind time when you wass born! Yas, your mammy wass
disapp'inted in you right at first. You wass seventy-six hours late! But
now you reformed--sank God! I always knowed it wass a cure for it, but I
didn't know it wass anysing as nice as Sally."

Seffy i