'em away, but she turned 'em upside down an' helt 'em before my eyes.
'Do you call that a M?' sez she, an' shore 'nough it was as plain a W
as I ever laid eyes on.

"'Oh!' sez I, 'now I see. Do you want me to give 'em to John
Westerfelt?'

"But she wouldn't say narry a word. I seed how the land lay, fer I
knowed she'd ruther die, religion ur no religion, 'an come right out in
so many words an' say she wus sorry. You know I believe as I'm
a-settin' heer 'at thar'll be folks meetin' on the golden sands of
eternity, by the River of Life, 'at'll pass one another with the'r
noses in the air; but I'll take that back. I reckon thar won't be no
noses, nur no air, as fer that matter; folks that's read up on sech
matters says everything will be different. The Lord knows I hope it
will be. I want a change. But I am gettin' away frum Mis' Dawson.
Then I up an' told 'er p'int-blank I wus goin' to give the socks to you
with the compliments of the day, an' ef she objected she'd better put
in 'er complaint in time, but she jest walked back an' set down in
front o' the stand. John, she's that sorry fer all she's said and done
'at she can't talk about it. These heer socks is all the proof you
need. I don't think she wants to meet you face to face nuther. She's
goin' home in the mornin' in Sam Hambright's wagon. Lord! Peter
Slogan an' his wife never 'll know what to make uv 'er. I'd give a
purty to be thar when she comes, fer they won't know she's converted,
an' she'd be strung up by the toes ruther 'n tell 'em right out."

Mrs. Bradley stood up, and then quickly sat down again. "I thought I'd
get them socks out'n the dinner-basket, but I heer Luke a-comin'. He's
like a fish out o' water. He seed me a-takin' on with Mis' Dawson, an'
he thinks I've got a fresh dose o' religion. I didn't let 'im know no
better, an' he wus grum all the way home. He can't put up with a
Christian of the excitable sort. Hush, don't say a word; watch me
devil him, but ef you don't keep a straight face I'll bust out
laughin'. Lordy, I feel good somehow--I reckon it's beca'se yo're shet
o' that old woman's persecutions."

Just then Bradley entered and laid his hat on the bed. Westerfelt now
noticed the unsettled expression of his face and smiled as he thought
of the innocent cause of it.

"Well," said Bradley, "are you through with John? It's high time we
wus havin' some'n t' eat."

"Yes," said his wife, with a doleful expression of c