her and openin' her fist she had a
sil'er dollar too and little Lizbeth she come runnin' to show me what
she had. Another sil'er dollar, bless you. 'This strange man were most
powerful free-hearted,' sez I, gettin' off of Queen. I throwed the
bridle over the fence rail and went on up to the house, packin' my
saddle pockets over my arm and my gun and cartridge belt over my
shoulder. My little girls come troopin' behind. Their Ma stood waitin'
in the door twistin' the end of her apron like she ever did when she was
warned. 'Captain Anderson!' sez she, that were her pet name for me,
'I've been nigh in a franzy. I 'lowed sure you and Queen had been washed
plum down in the flood. Here, let me have them soppin' clothes and them
muddy boots.' Levicy was the workinest woman you ever saw. Washed and
scoured till my garmints looked like new. And after I'd got on clean dry
clothes such a feast she set before me. 'Pon my word, it made me feel
right sheepish. 'A body would think, Levicy,' sez I, 'that I were the
Prodigal Son come home.' She spoke right up. 'See here, Anderson
Hatfield, I won't have you handlin' no such talk about the sire of my
little girls,' sez she, spoonin' the sweet potatoes on my plate, and
smilin' so tender and good on me. Then my little girls gathered round to
see what I'd fetched them. There was store candy and a pretty hair
ribbon for each one that I taken out of the saddle pockets. And a gold
breast pin for Levicy. Never saw a woman so pleased in my life. 'I don't
aim to hold it back just to wear to meetin',' sez she. And she didn't.
From then on she wore that gold breast pin every day of her life. Said
she meant to be buried with it. Well, 'ginst my little girls had et
their candy and plaited each other's hair and tied on their new ribbons
they hovered around me again to show their sil'er the strange man had
give them. 'Captain Anderson,' sez Levicy, 'he was handsome built and
set his saddle proud and fearless. But not half so proud and fearless as
you. Nor were he half so handsome.' I could feel her hand on my shoulder
a-quiverin' a little grain like Levicy's hand ever did when she was plum
happy. Then she went on to tell as she washed the dishes and Nancy and
Rosie dried them and Lizbeth packed them off to the cupboard, about the
strange man. 'He laid powerful admiration on our little girls.' Levicy
was wipin' off the oilcloth on the table with her soapy dish rag. 'He
had them line up in a row to see whic