e. People generally
come to an agreement between themselves before they speak to the
clergyman.'

"'Mr. Twitty,' said the clergyman, 'I strongly advise you to give up
your present notions of immediate matrimony, and wait at least until all
parties agree upon time and place and upon the other circumstances of
this union for which you seem so impatient.'

"'Hello, Sam!' shouted Captain Abner from the water's edge, 'ain't you
comin' along?'

"Sam made no answer to any one. He walked silently down toward the boat.
Everything seemed to be breaking loose from him, and slipping away. His
old friend, who had so long wanted her, and who had prepared his house
for her, and had set out to look for her, had declined to take her when
he saw her; and he, Sam, who had so thoroughly understood the
opportunities which had been spread before the little party that
afternoon, and who knew what would happen if these opportunities were
allowed to slip out of sight, had been set aside by one woman, laughed
at by another, had been advised by a clergyman, and had been scolded by
Captain Abner. His soul resented all this, and he saw that the edge of
the sun was nearly touching the rim of the distant sea. With a great
slap upon his thigh, he sprang to the side of the boat, and turned and
faced the others, all of whom were now approaching him.

"'I am to sail this boat back to Thompsontown,' he cried. 'It's been
agreed I'm to do it, and I'm goin' to do it; but one thing I'll tell
you--the sun can go down, the night can come on, and you can all stay
here till mornin' if you like, but this boat don't leave this island
with me at the helm till I'm a married man!' With this he skipped on
board, sat down in the stern, and clapped his broad hands on the tiller.

"There was a burst of astonishment from the rest of the party as Sam
thus seated himself at bay. Even the girl of the buggy did not laugh.

"'But I must go home,' she cried, 'before it is any later. My friends
will be waiting supper for me.'

"'Don't matter,' said Sam. 'Supper can wait.'

"'Look a' here,' said Captain Abner.

"'I don't want to look a' here,' said Sam. 'I'm a-lookin' a different
way, and it's Mrs. Sickles I'm lookin' at. And you needn't none of you
look cross at me. I'm to steer this boat home, that's settled, and I
don't steer her an inch till I'm a married man.'

"The others gathered together on the beach and gazed with varied
emotions upon the determined figure of