ble we took, moiling and toiling, to get your ole poem printed as
nice as we could, so it wouldn't ruin our newspaper, and then you come
over here and go on like this, and all this and that, why, I wouldn't go
through it again for a _hunderd_ dollars! We're makin' good money
anyhow, with our newspaper, Florence Atwater. You needn't think we
depend on _you_ for our living!"

"That's so," his partner declared. "We knew you wouldn't be satisfied,
anyway, Florence. Didn't we, Henry?"

"I should say we did!"

"Yes, sir!" said Herbert. "Right when we were havin' the worst time
tryin' to print it and make out some o' the words, I said right then we
were just throwing away our time. I said, 'What's the use? That ole
girl's bound to raise Cain anyhow, so what's the use wastin' a whole lot
of our good time and brains like this, just to suit _her_? Whatever we
do, she's certain to come over and insult us.' Isn't that what I said,
Henry?"

"Yes, it is; and I said then you were right, and you _are_ right!"

"Cert'nly I am," said Herbert. "Didn't I tell you she'd be just the way
some the family say she is? A good many of 'em say she'd find fault with
the undertaker at her own funeral. That's just exactly what I said!"

"Oh, you did?" Florence burlesqued a polite interest. "How _vir_ry
considerate of you! Then, perhaps you'll try to be a gentleman enough
for one simple moment to allow me to tell you my last remarks on this
subject. I've said enough----"

"Oh, _have_ you?" Herbert interrupted with violent sarcasm. "Oh, no! Say
not so! Florence, say not so!"

At this, Henry Rooter loudly shouted with applausive hilarity; whereupon
Herbert, rather surprised at his own effectiveness, naturally repeated
his waggery.

"Say not so, Florence! Say not so! Say not so!"

"I'll tell you one thing!" his lady cousin cried, thoroughly infuriated.
"I wish to make just one last simple remark that I would care to soil
myself with in _your_ respects, Mister Herbert Illingsworth Atwater and
Mister Henry Rooter!"

"Oh, say not so, Florence!" they both entreated. "Say not so! Say not
so!"

"I'll just simply state the simple truth," Florence announced. "In the
first place, you're goin' to live to see the day when you'll come and
beg me on your bented knees to have me put poems or anything I want to
in your ole newspaper, but I'll just _laugh_ at you! '_Indeed_?' I'll
say! 'So you come beggin' around _me_, do you? Ha, ha!' I'll say! 'I
guess