at darn Monty is as cute an' slick as a fox.
After he got done declaimin' about the handicap he an' Link was so happy
to take, he got Castleton over hyar an' drove us all dotty with his
crazy gol-lof names. Then he borrowed Castleton's gol-lof coat. I reckon
borrowed is some kind word. He just about took that blazin' coat off the
Englishman. Though I ain't sayin' but that Casleton was agreeable
when he tumbled to Monty's meanin'. Which was nothin' more 'n to break
Ambrose's heart. That coat dazzles Ambrose. You know how vain Ambrose
is. Why, he'd die to get to wear that Englishman's gol-lof coat. An'
Monty forestalled him. It's plumb pitiful to see the look in Ambrose's
eyes. He won't be able to play much. Then what do you think? Monty fixed
Ed Linton, all right. Usually Ed is easy-goin' an' cool. But now he's
on the rampage. Wal, mebbe it's news to you to learn that Ed's wife is
powerful, turrible jealous of him. Ed was somethin' of a devil with the
wimmen. Monty goes over an' tells Beulah--that's Ed's wife--that Ed is
goin' to have for caddie the lovely Miss Dorothy with the goo-goo eyes.
I reckon this was some disrespectful, but with all doo respect to Miss
Dorothy she has got a pair of unbridled eyes. Mebbe it's just natural
for her to look at a feller like that. Oh, it's all right; I'm not
sayin' any-thin'! I know it's all proper an' regular for girls back East
to use their eyes. But out hyar it's bound to result disastrous. All the
boys talk about among themselves is Miss Dot's eyes, an' all they brag
about is which feller is the luckiest. Anyway, sure Ed's wife knows it.
An' Monty up an' told her that it was fine for her to come out an' see
how swell Ed was prancin' round under the light of Miss Dot's brown
eyes. Beulah calls over Ed, figgertively speakin', ropes him for a
minnit. Ed comes back huggin' a grouch as big as a hill. Oh, it was
funny! He was goin' to punch Monty's haid off. An' Monty stands there
an' laughs. Says Monty, sarcastic as alkali water: 'Ed, we-all knowed
you was a heap married man, but you're some locoed to give yourself
away.' That settled Ed. He's some touchy about the way Beulah henpecks
him. He lost his spirit. An' now he couldn't play marbles, let alone
gol-lof. Nope, Monty was too smart. An' I reckon he was right about
brains bein' what wins."

The game began. At first Madeline and Dorothy essayed to direct the
endeavors of their respective players. But all they said and did only
made