r. Her wonderful
escape from Bloody Jim, her triumphal ride over Hank Glutter, her
astonishing beauty, talents, and virtues were subjects upon which he
descanted with great fluency.

"'Tween you an' me, Recta," said he, being in an uncommonly
confidential frame on one of these occasions, "I used fur tu think
that are Edward Sherman was a hanging around the Honey, and I sot
myself tu put a stop to it, and that are day I was knocked down, and
had my shoulder put out of jint, I jest gin him a hint that a nice
young man was a goin fur tu git her."

"Why, Philip, I thought Edward was about the nicest young man in the
world," Recta ventured to assert.

Daddy elevated his eyebrows, and hitching up very close to his
companion, whispered, "'Tween you an' me, didn't you know he drunk
nothin?"

"You don't say so, Philip!" exclaimed Recta, in tones in which were
blended surprise and grief.

"I've seed him," declared Daddy, decidedly.

"Dear me, how I wish he had always staid to home. Dear me, I can't
bear to have it so; he was such a sweet little feller, when I nussed
and tended on him. He don't drink hard, does he, Philip?"

"I guess about middlin. I never seed him dead drunk, but I've ketched
him a few times about as full as he could hold. He cum hum pretty
tight from the party last night."

"You don't say! I guess that's what's made his mother so low-spirited
all day."

"I kinder think that are wife of hisen don't feel nun tu nice over it
nuther, fur she 'pears ruther down in the mouth. I happened fur tu
hear her a tellin him this morning, that fur tu drink moderate was
genteel, but tu over drink was vulgar. It's my opinion he ain't got a
fur-seein woman, or she wouldn't hev preached no sech doctrine as that
are. You wouldn't have ketched the Honey a doin of it; she thinks it's
all vulgar and wicked tu."

"I think it's a sin to pass it around at them parties, Philip."

"Sartin, Recta; young fellers will get a liking for it, and get ruined
in that are way."

"I don't see what makes folks do it when they know it's such dangerous
practice."

"'Tween you and me, it's the devil," said Daddy bluntly. "He has
allers tempted good folks as well as bad with his pison. He manages
somehow fur tu make 'em believe there ain't no harm in it. I should
think nobody could help a knowin of it. I heered some women talkin on
the steamer, and one of 'em said she knowed a lady what was in the
habit of treating gentlemen friends to a