“Her name is Faith Foster. You know her, father?”
“Yes, I know her. She is a good beautiful girl.”
“I felt sure you would say that, sir. You make me very happy.”
“A man cannot lie about any woman. Faith Foster is good and beautiful.”
“And she has promised to be my wife. Father, I am so happy! So happy! And your satisfaction with Faith doubles my pleasure. I have been in love with her for nearly a year but I was afraid to lose all by asking all; and I never found courage or opportunity to speak before this to her.”
“That is all buff and bounce. Thou can drop the word ‘courage,’ and opportunity will do for a reason. I niver knew Dick Annis to be afraid of a girl but if thou art really afraid of this girl—let her go. It is the life of a dog to live with a woman that you fear.”
“Father, you have seen Faith often. Do you fear her in the way your words seem to imply?”
“Me! Does tha think I fear any woman? What’s up with thee to ask such a question as that?”
“I thought from your kind manner with Faith and your admiring words both to her and about her that you would have congratulated me on my success in winning her love.”
“I doan’t know as thou deserves much congratulation on that score. I think it is mebbe, to me mysen, and to thy mother thou art mainly indebted for what success there is in winning Miss Foster’s favor. We gave thee thy handsome face and fine form, thy bright smile and that coaxing way thou hes—a way that would win any lass thou choose to favor—it is just the awful way young men hev, of choosing the wrong time to marry even if they happen to choose the right woman.”