hrough the pines. Neither spoke till they were out
of sight of the crowd. Then Bates stopped suddenly and faced his
companion. He put his foot on a fallen log, and cleared his throat.
He looked up at the sky and slowly caressed his chin with his fingers,
as Westerfelt had once seen him do in making a speech before the
justice of the peace.

"We ain't well acquainted, Westerfelt," he began, stroking his chin
downward and letting his lips meet with a clucking sound, also another
professional habit; "but, you'd find, ef you knew me better, that I
never beat the devil round the stump, as the feller said, an' I'm above
board." He paused for a moment; then he kicked a rotten spot on the
log with the broad heel of his brogan till it crumbled into dust.
"I've got some'n to say to you of a sort o' confidential nature, an' ef
you'll let me, I may ask you a point-blank question."

"Fire away," said Westerfelt, wonderingly.

"I'm not a ladies' man," continued Bates, with a kick at another soft
spot on the log. "I'm jest a plain Cohutta Mountain, jack-leg lawyer.
I've not been much of a hand to go to the shindigs the young folks have
been gitting up about heer. One reason was I couldn't afford it,
another was I didn't have the time to spare, so I haven't never paid
court to any special young lady in Cartwright. But now, I think I am
in purty good shape to marry. I believe all young men ought to get 'em
a wife, an' if I ever intend to do the like, I'll have to be about it,
for I'm no spring chicken. Now, to make a long story short, I've taken
a strong liking to the girl I fetched out here to-day, an', by George,
now that I've got headed that way, I simply can't wait any longer, nor
hold in either. I intend to ask her to be my wife if--" he began again
to kick the log. "Dang it, it seems to me--you see, I know that she
don't care a rap for Wambush; a few of us thought thar was something
between 'em once, but since he went off it is as plain as day that she
is not grieving after him. But, somehow, it seems to me that she may
have a hankering after you. I don't know why I think so, but if thar
is any understanding between you two I'd take it as a great favor if
you'd let me know it, right now at the start. I'll wish you well--but
I'd like to know it. It's a powerful big thing to me, Westerfelt--the
biggest thing I ever tackled yet."

Westerfelt's face was hard and expressionless. He avoided the lawyer's
searching gla