"Dear me!" ejaculated Matt.
"Dear Mattie Barker!" exclaimed Jack, and instantly his countenance ran through the whole chromatic scale of facial expression, and then dropped low, perhaps to rest from its sudden exertion.
"That's who, is it?" said Matt.
"Yes," said Jack. "I didn't mean to tell you, Matt, but it came out all of a sudden. I meant to ask you, though, to go and explain things to her, so she shouldn't have to think any worse of me than she needs to."
"All right," said the literal Matt, "but I couldn't very well have told her if I hadn't known who she was, you see."
"Yes, that's true," admitted Jack.
"Well, I guess I had better do it at once, for I saw her sitting on the back piazza, peeling peaches, as I came along, and there's no time like the present, you know."
Jack acknowledged to himself the general application of Matt's plea for promptness, but he somehow wished that the explanation might be deferred, for he was doubtful as to what message to send, so he asked:
"What will you tell her, Matt?"
"Oh, I'll say you didn't set the barn afire," said Matt, "and that your worst present fear is that she may believe you did."