"Now, up to this time, I hadn't any notion of a program as to Nancy; I was all took up with gettin' ahead of dad. But when I found myself in front of old McRae, more down at the heel and raggeder in the seat than ever, I was a whole lot set back. What was I to say to him and to her? I didn't know. He was gappin' at me with the eyes of an owl, and so I opened up.
"'I see you have no lightnin'-rods?' I says. 'In this day and age of the world you can't afford to go without lightnin'-rods.'
"He wa'n't no fool, if he did wear rats in his hair, and he says:
"'I thought you was a cream-separator man. Are lightnin'-rods comin' into style again?'
"'My kind is,' I says.
"'Well, the trade must be lookin' up,' he says, walkin' round and round my machine and eyin' it. 'I'm thinkin' of havin' one of them wagons for haulin' milk to town. Won't you light out?'
"'Don't care if I do,' I says, and out I rolled, feelin' a little shaky.
"I was mighty anxious to see Nance by this time, but felt shy of askin' about her.
"'What is the latest kink in rods?' asked the old cuss.
"'These kind I sell,' I says, 'are the kind that catch and store the electricity in a tank down cellar. Durin' a thunder-storm you can save up enough to rock the baby and run the churn for a week or two.'