and they don't none of them like a girl to act so. That's all right to
be so when you is just only loving, but it ain't no ways right to be
acting so when you is engaged to him, and when he says, all right he
get really regularly married to you. You see Sam I am right like I am
always and I knows it. Jem Richards, he ain't going to the last to get
real married, not if I knows it right, the way Melanctha now is acting
to him. Rings or anything ain't nothing to them, and they don't never
do no good for them, when a girl acts foolish like Melanctha always
now is acting. I certainly will be right sorry Sam, if Melanctha has
real bad trouble come now to her, but I certainly don't no ways like
it Sam the kind of way Melanctha is acting to him. I don't never say
nothing to her Sam. I just listens to what she is saying always, and
I thinks it out like I am telling to you Sam but I don't never say
nothing no more now to Melanctha. Melanctha didn't say nothing to me
about that Jem Richards till she was all like finished with him, and
I never did like it Sam, much, the way she was acting, not coming
here never when she first ran with those men and met him. And I didn't
never say nothing to her, Sam, about it, and it ain't nothing ever to
me, only I don't never no more want to say nothing to her, so I just
listens to what she got to tell like she wants it. No Sam, I don't
never want to say nothing to her. Melanctha just got to go her own
way, not as I want to see her have bad trouble ever come hard to her,
only it ain't in me never Sam, after Melanctha did so, ever to say
nothing more to her how she should be acting. You just see Sam like I
tell you, what way Jem Richards will act to her, you see Sam I just am
right like I always am when I knows it."

Melanctha Herbert never thought she could ever again be in trouble.
Melanctha's joy had made her foolish.

And now Jem Richards had some bad trouble with his betting. Melanctha
sometimes felt now when she was with him that there was something
wrong inside him. Melanctha knew he had had trouble with his betting
but Melanctha never felt that that could make any difference to them.

Melanctha once had told Jem, sure he knew she always would love to be
with him, if he was in jail or only just a beggar. Now Melanctha
said to him, "Sure you know Jem that it don't never make any kind of
difference you're having any kind of trouble, you just try me Jem and
be game, don't look so worried t