.

Captain Perez might, and probably would, have suggested action upon this
important matter, had not his mind been taken up with what, to him, was
the most important of all. He had made up his mind to ask Patience Davis
to marry him.

Love is like the measles; it goes hard with a man past fifty, and
Captain Perez was severely smitten. The decision just mentioned was not
exactly a brand-new one, his mind had been made up for some time, but he
lacked the courage to ask the momentous question. Something the lady
had said during the first stages of their acquaintance made a great
impression on the Captain. She gave it as her opinion that a man who
loved a woman should be willing to go through fire and water to win her.
Captain Perez went home that night pondering deeply.

"Fire and water!" he mused. "That's a turrible test. But she's a
wonderful woman, and would expect it of a feller. I wonder if I could do
it; seems 's if I would now, but flesh is weak, and I might flunk, and
that would settle it. Fire and water! My! my! that's awful!"

So the Captain delayed and Miss Patience, who had cherished hopes, found
need of a good share of the virtue for which she was named.

But one afternoon at the end of the week following that of the funeral,
Perez set out for a call upon his intended which he meant should be a
decisive one. He had screwed his courage up to the top notch, and as he
told Captain Eri afterwards, he meant to "hail her and git his bearin's,
if he foundered the next minute."

He found the lady alone, for old Mrs. Mayo had gone with her son, whose
name was Abner, to visit a cousin in Harniss, and would not be back
until late in the evening. Miss Patience was very glad to have company,
and it required no great amount of urging to persuade the infatuated
swain to stay to tea. When the meal was over--they washed the dishes
together, and the Captain was so nervous that it is a wonder there was a
whole plate left--the pair were seated in the parlor. Then said Captain
Perez, turning red and hesitating, "Pashy, do you know what a feller
told me 'bout you?"

Now, this remark was purely a pleasant fiction, for the Captain was
about to undertake a compliment, and was rather afraid to shoulder the
entire responsibility.

"No; I'm sure I don't, Perez," replied Miss Davis, smiling sweetly.

"Well, a feller told me you was the best housekeeper in Orham. He said
that the man that got you would be lucky."

This was enc