"'Phenie,' says Columbus, kind o' humble like, 'I don't want no wife as don't like me better 'n ary other man in the world. Ef you likes that man, an' he's a good man, an' means right by ye, I ain't one ter stan' in your way; but,' says he, 'I don't believe he's no good. I've seen them kind befo', an' I don't have no confidence into him.'
"'Columbus,' says Phenie, kind o' spirited, fur her, 'you ain't got no call to talk agin' him. He's a gentleman, he is!'
"'All right!' says Columbus, chokin' up, 'all right. Mebbe he is—but I don't like this meetin' of him unbeknownst, Phenie. It ain't the thing. Now I want you ter promise me not to meet him any more unbeknownst till you knows more about him, an' you give me leave ter find out all about him, an' see ef I don't.'
"'I won't listen to no lies,' says Phenie, kind o' fiery.
"'I won't tell ye no lies, Phenie,' he says. 'I never has, an' I ain't goin' ter begin now.'
"Then he got up an' shoved his cheer back, and I had ter go 'way from the crack.
"Wall, Phenie looked real white an' sick after that, an' I felt right down sorry fur the gal, but I didn't let on I knew anything, 'cause 'twaren't my place ter speak fust, ye know! Wall, she dragged 'round fur three, four days,—that was after she was discharged, you see,—an' one evenin' Columbus he come in all tremblin' an' stirred up, an' him an' her went inter the room, an' I sat up ter the crack. An' Columbus he begun.
"'Phenie,' says he, his voice all hoarse an' shaky, 'Phenie, what would you say ef I was ter tell ye your fine gineral wasn't no gineral, an' was a married man at that?'
"'Prove it!' says Phenie.