f the stable to
preach. Who wants to stand among these smelly cows all day?"

They stayed with us almost a week, and one day when Gale and I were
milking she asked me to invite her to stay with me a month. She said
to ask her mother, and left her mother and myself much together. But
Sedalia stuck to her mother like a plaster and I just could not stand
Sedalia a whole month. However, I was spared all embarrassment, for
"Mis' Lane" asked me if I could not find work enough to keep Gale busy
for a month or two. She went on to explain that Sedalia was expecting
to be married and that Gale was so "common" she would really spoil the
match. I was surprised and indignant, especially as Sedalia sat and
listened so brazenly, so I said I thought Sedalia would need all the
help she could get to get married and that I should be glad to have
Gale visit me as long as she liked.

So Gale stayed on with me. One afternoon she had gone to the
post-office when I saw Mr. Patterson ride up. He went into the
bunk-house to wait until the men should come. Now, from something Gale
had said I fancied that Bob Patterson must be the right man. I am
afraid I am not very delicate about that kind of meddling, and while I
had been given to understand that Patterson was the man Sedalia
expected to marry, I didn't think any man would choose her if he could
get Gale, so I called him. We had a long chat and he told me frankly he
wanted Gale, but that she didn't care for him, and that they kept
throwing "that danged Sedalia" at him. Then he begged my pardon for
saying "danged," but I told him I approved of the word when applied to
Sedalia, and broke the news to him that Gale was staying with me. He
fairly beamed. So that night I left Gale to wash dishes and Bob to help
her while I held Mr. Stewart a prisoner in the stable and questioned
him regarding Patterson's prospects and habits. I found both all that
need be, and told Mr. Stewart about my talk with Patterson, and he
said, "Wooman, some day ye'll gang ploom daft." But he admitted he was
glad it was the "bonny lassie, instead of the bony one." When we went
to the house Mr. Stewart said, "Weel, when are you douchy bairns
gangin' to the kirk?"

They left it to me, so I set Thanksgiving Day, and as there is no "kirk
to gang to," we are going to have a justice of the peace and they are
to be married here. We are going to have the dandiest dinner that I can
cook, and Mr. Stewart went to town next day for th