ke a chance shot
to me; as this guy had only been among us a few years, an' I gathered
from Bill Hammersly that the Alice LeMoyne I was springin' had
journeyed on, some several years earlier.

But the Englishman continued to repose on his bed o' down, Barbie read
to him, cooked little tid-bits for him, an' he opened up his nature an'
gave a new shine to his eyes; while Jabez--well, Jabez was buoyant as a
balloon, an' sent here an' there for nick-hacks an' jim-cracks an' such
like luxuries. He got to callin' Hawthorn "Clarence" an' "my boy," an'
kindry epithets, till even a casual stranger would 'a' knowed the' was
a roarin' in the ol' man's head like a chime o' weddin' bells.

Hawthorn was able to crutch around a bit by the first o' May; it was an
early season, an' the' was a great harvest o' calves at the round-up. I
was in work up to my eyes, an' sort o' lost track of the doin's except
when Barbie would have the buckboard hooked up an' come out to the
brandin' ground. The weather was glorious, an' you couldn't have blamed
an Injun idol for fallin' in love, so I lost heart an' was two-thirds
mad nine-tenths o' the time.

Jabez had had a hard siege of it an' it showed. His face was lined, his
hair was white at the temples, an' the' was a wistful look in his eyes
which was mighty touchy. Barbie was more chummy with him too, an' they
was edgin' back to ol' times; but I was darn glad to see Hawthorn
finally admit that he was sufficiently recovered to drive over an' see
what had become of his own lay-out.

The very first meal that we et alone, however, showed that the old sore
wasn't plumb healed over yet. Jabez couldn't wait any longer, so he
called for a show-down as soon as our food began to catch up with our
appetite. "Has Clarence popped the question yet, honey?" sez he.

"About twice a day on the average," sez Barbie, chillin' up a trifle;
"but I don't think he stands much chance. I like him an' he is kind an'
good; but I don't reckon I could ever marry him."

The ol' man didn't flare up, same as he would have once. He just sat
still, lookin' at his plate, an' that was the hardest blow he had ever
struck her. She asked me twice that afternoon if I thought he was
failin'.

Next day at dinner Jabez finished his rations, an' then leaned back an'
looked lovin'ly at Barbie for a minute. "Little girl," he sez, "I know
'at you don't like to hurt me intentional; but you have give me a
mighty sight of heartaches in my