ace
last night, 'n' seein' his face 'n' bein' a woman o' more brains 'n
falls to the lot of yourself 'n' the majority, I may just as well say
once for all that, 's far 's the minister's concerned, I sh'll never
be married to _him_."

"What did he--" began Mrs. Lathrop.

"All 't was necessary 'n' more too. He did n't give me hardly time to
state 't I was single afore he come out strong 't we 'd both better
stay so. I spoke right out to his face then, 'n' told him 't my
shingles was new last year 'n' it was a open question whether his 'd
ever be, but he piped up f'r all the world like some o' the talkin'
was his to do, 'n' said 't he had a cistern 'n' I 'd only got a sunk
hogshead under the spout. I did n't see no way to denyin' _that_, but
I went right on 'n' asked him 'f he could in his conscience deny 't
them eight children stood in vital need of a good mother, 'n' he spoke
up 's quick 's scat 'n' said 't no child stood in absolute vital need
of a mother after it was born. 'N' then he branched out 'n' give me to
understand 't he had a wife till them eight children all got
themselves launched 'n' 't it was n't his fault her dyin' o' Rachel
Rebecca. When he said 'dyin',' I broke in 'n' said 't it was
Bible-true 's there was 's good fish in the sea 's ever was caught out
of it, 'n' he was impolite enough to interrupt 'n' tell me to my face
'Yes, but when a man had been caught once he was n't easy caught
again.' I will own 't I was more 'n put out 't that, for o' course
when I said _fish_ I meant his wife 'n' me, but when he pretended to
think 't I meant him I begin to doubt 's it was worth while to tackle
him further. One man can lead a horse to water, but a thousand can't
get him to stick his nose in 'f he don't want to, 'n' I thank my stars
't I ain't got nothin' 'n me as craves to marry a man 's appears
dead-set ag'in' the idea. I asked him 'f he did n't think 's comin'
into property was always a agreeable feelin', 'n' he said, 'Yes, but
not when with riches come a secret thorn in the flesh,' 'n' at that I
clean give up, 'n' I hope it was n't to my discredit, for no one on
the face of the earth could 'a' felt 't there 'd be any good in
keepin' on. But it was no use, 'n' you know 's well as I do 't I never
was give to wastin' my breath, so I out 'n' told him 't I was n't giv'
to wastin' my time either, 'n' then I stood up 'n' he did too. 'N'
_then_ I got even with him, 'n' I c'n assure you 't I enjoyed it, f'r
I out