She caught his hand and held it fast; “I want you and Jimmy to be my little pages at the wedding, and wear dear little white satin suits all trimmed with gold braid,” she tried to be enthusiastic and arouse his interest; “and Lina and Frances can be little flower-girls and we'll have such a beautiful wedding.”
“Jimmy an' Lina an' Frances can be all the pages an' flower-girls an' brides an' grooms they wants to, but you can't rope me in,” he scornfully replied. “I's done with you an' I ain't never goin' to have me no mo' sweetheart long's I live.”
CHAPTER XVIII
CLOSER THAN A BROTHER
It was a bad, rainy day. Jimmy and Billy were playing in Sarah Jane's cabin, she, however, being in happy ignorance of the fact. Her large stays, worn to the preaching the night before, were hanging on the back of a chair. “Ain't I glad I don' have to wear no corset when I puts on long pants?” remarked Billy, pointing to the article. “Ain't that a big one? It's twice's big's Aunt Minerva's.”
“My mama wears a big co'set, too,” said Jimmy; “I like fat womans 'nother sight better 'n lean ones. Miss Minerva's 'bout the skinniest woman they is; when I get married I'm going to pick me out the fattest wife I can find, so when you set in her lap at night for her to rock you to sleep you'll have a soft place to put your head, while she sings to you.”
“The Major—he's mos' plump enough for two,” said Billy, taking down the stays and trying to hook them around him.
“It sho' is big,” he said; “I berlieve it's big 'nough to go 'round both of us.”
“Le's see if 'tain't,” was the other boy's ready suggestion.