. I had a good long talk with her that very
afternoon, tellin' her that I had found out a lot o' stuff about the
remnant she was thinkin' o' marryin', an' tried to get her to test him
out an' find out where he'd come from an' what he was; but she seemed
numb, an' told me that she would not think it friendly if I said
anything evil against the man she had to marry. I couldn't understand
her, she didn't seem like the same old Barbie; but the more I hinted
the more froze-up she got, so I dropped it.

Then I told her that I had found out that Dick was even worse'n this
one; an' she opened up on me an' we had a purty square-off talkin'
match. She wouldn't listen to me, an' she wouldn't pay any heed to my
suggestions; an' I was consid'able out of patience. I was afraid if I
turned her again Dick she might marry this Hawthorn thing, an' if I
turned her again him too soon she might run off with Dick on the
rebound; so I was purty much hobbled, an' made a botch of it. Finally
she turned on me. "We've been good pals, Happy," sez she, "an' we'll be
good pals again some day; but you're not playin' square now--I can tell
by your actions. I almost believe 'at what you're tryin' to do is to--"
she stopped with her face red as fire.

"Well, say it," sez I.

"Is to marry me yourself," she blurted out.

I didn't say anything for a long time. I made every allowance for her,
an' I knew 'at some one had threw it in her face, 'cause this wasn't
one of her own brand o' thoughts; but I'm not all horn an' bone, an'
when I saw that she intended to go her own gait I made up my mind that
she'd know at the end of the course that she might have saved herself
several hard bumps.

"Barbie." I sez, an' at my voice she turned her face an' looked a
little frightened, "I ain't denyin' that I'd rather marry you than be
sure of gettin' into Heaven; but I want you to remember one thing, an'
that is that if I ever do marry you it will be because you ask me to
yourself."

We rode side by side back to the ranch house, an' her head wasn't held
an inch higher than mine nor her lips shut a grain tighter. I was
willin' to be used for a bumper; but I couldn't stand everything even
when I knew 'at she'd been hounded beyond endurance. From that on
Barbie was some cool to me; but I wasn't there for a vacation, I had a
duty to perform. Poor little Barbie, she didn't act much like a bride
elect. Jabez wanted a weddin' that would be the talk for years; but
Barbie