“Shucks! Not him. Women never bothered him none. He always fought shy of them—until now. He’s changed a lot. I don’t understand him no more. Keeps a-moonin’ regular about you. I’m gettin’ a heap sick of hangin’ around him. Ain’t you?”
“No!”
“Well, that’s a heap odd, ma’am. I was thinkin’ you didn’t like him a heap. Accordin’ to that, I reckon you’d be right glad to see him—comin’ home from Pardo—where’s he been to have that gold assayed?”
“He ought to be here before dark, Linton. And I shall be glad to see him.”
“Hopin’ the gold will assay good, I reckon?”
“Hoping he will come back, safe.”
“You don’t care about the gold?”
“No.”
“Only about him?”
“Yes, Linton,” she said, gently.