was the best afloat. 'Won't you pass yore plate for
more beans?' she wanted to know, and 'Won't you try some of the butter
with the cornbread?' I reckon I made a mistake by speaking of what a
fine spread she got up the last time, for she kind o' tilted her nose in
the air, an' said she 'lowed the weather was too hot to stand over a hot
cook-stove unless it was some _extra occasion_."

"She's got lots to do," Henley said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"She's undertaken to nurse that little boy back to health, and he takes
up a lot of her time."

"I reckon he does," Long said. "Looks like me an' her'd hardly get
settled in our chairs on the porch before her mammy would call out that
Joe wanted water, or Joe wanted to set up, or what not. It was more like
hard work than any day of courtin' I ever put in. But now, Alf, I'm
coming to my chief trouble. I want her, and I want her bad. I hardly
sleep at night for thinking about her sweet, pretty face, and
industrious habits, and what a bang-up wife she'd make, but I don't get
nowhere. The minute I come down to hard-pan she wiggles away like a
scared tadpole in shallow water. I done a thing, and I don't know
whether it was a big mistake or not, and that is the main thing I want
to see you about. It was just before I left, an' we was standin' at the
gate, nigh my hoss and buggy. It had got sorter dark, and--well, I'll
tell you all about it. Alf, I've heard fellows say (and they was men
that had had experience with women, too)--I've heard 'em say that the
chap that dilly-dallies with a woman, and always acts as sweet as pie,
never makes no headway. Them fellows say you've just got to be sorter
firm with a girl that won't make up her mind--that women like to have a
man show that he ain't scared out of his senses when he's with 'em. And
so I had all that in mind, you understand, when I made my last set at
her there in the dark. I saw nobody wasn't looking, and I catched hold
of her hand, I did, and held on to it though she pulled and twisted with
all her might. I told her I was bound to have a kiss, and I pulled her
up agin me and tried to take it. I couldn't manage it, though, and, by
gad! she got loose and slid through the gate, and went in the house and
slammed the door in my face."

"She ought to have knocked your head off, you low-lived fool!" cried
Henley. He was white in the face, and his eyes had a dangerous glare in
them. His breath came rapidly and with an audible