The boy shook his head again and frowned:
"You're a hopeless old sinner——"
"Who, me, er sinner? Why, man erlive, I'se er pillar in de church!"
"God save the church!"
"I mebbe backslide a little, sah, in de winter time," Andy hastened to admit. "But I'se always de fus' man to de mourners' bench in de spring. I mos' generally leads de mourners, sah, an' when I comes froo an' gits religion over again, yer kin hear me shout er mile——"
"And I bet when the chickens hear it they roost higher the next night!"
Andy ignored the thrust and went on enthusiastically:
"Nasah, de church folks don't call me no sinner. I always stands up fer religion. Don't yer min' de time dat big yaller nigger cum down here from de Norf er castin' circumflexions on our church? I wuz de man dat stood right up in de meetin' an' defends de cause er de Lawd. I haul off an' biff 'im right in the jaw——"
"And you're going to ask Cleo to marry you?"
"I sho' is, sah."