“You have spoke the exact thoughts I had in mind all along; you’re right, parson.”
He would have been better pleased had Ruggles contradicted him. He did not wish to believe that which he could not help believing.
“We must treat him well because the captain brings him and he has saved the captain’s life, but, Wade, we must watch them both close.”
“I agree with you agin, but what shall we do if we find him making love to the little gal?”
The parson’s fierce reply showed how deeply his feelings were stirred.
“Warn him just once!”
“I feel as bad about it as you do, but, parson, I haven’t forgot that afore the war broke out, and we was afeard the captain meant to take the gal away to 129 have her eddycated, you told us it was none of our bus’ness and he had the right to do as he thought best with his own child.”
“All that was true at the time, but the conditions have changed.”
“Now I can’t foller you. ’Spose the captain is agreeable?”
“He won’t be!” exclaimed Brush, who in the depth of his excitement added an exclamation which sounded perilously like profanity. But for the parson’s intense earnestness, Ruggles would have quizzed him, but he pitied the man and at the same time was distressed himself.