Then she fired up.
“Joel Haskins,” she exclaimed, “don’t ye darst to call me a fool right before all these people! If ye do, I’ll pull ev’ry hair outer your old head!”
“Take your hands offen me!” he retorted. “All women is fools!”
“Oh, what a libel on the fair sex!” said Ready. “A man who will speak thus to a beautiful and charming wife deserves to be drawn and quartered! I don’t see how such an old brute ever succeeded in marrying such a refined lady.”
“He is an old brute!” agreed the wife.
“Don’t call me an old brute, Marthy Jane!” roared the man savagely.
“You called me a fool first.”
“Well, ain’t ye showin’ it? Heaven sakes! but I’ve put up with enough of your nonsense!”
“Oh, hev ye?” she shrilly screamed. “And you will talk like this before folks, will ye?”
Then, in her excitement, she swung her umbrella aloft and brought it down on his head with a whack.