“You Paul!” fairly shouted Aunt Lucy, pouncing on her young hopeful, “what did you do las’ night?”
“Did jist what you tol’ me. Took back dat hoe an’ changed it for de one in Mr. Benson’s barn.”
“Took back what hoe?” shouted ’Liah in his turn. “Lucy Johnsing, what you been stickin’ yo’ fingers in?”
“Well, ’Liah, I ’lowed I warn’t gwine to have no hoe in dis house what didn’t b’long to us by rights, ’n’ so I tol’ Paul to get up las’ night an’ change de hoes back again, an’ if he did it, how dis one comes heah beats me.”
“You Lucy Johnsing, see what you’s been an’ done wid yo’ meddlin’. I took back dat hoe ’fore I went to bed, when I made ’s though I was gettin’ de whetstun, an’ then you went and changed ’em back ag’in.”
“’Liah Johnsing, why you keep secrets from yo’ wedded wife? Why didn’t you tell me ’bout dat?”
By this time Mr. Benson saw that there was something more in the matter than he supposed, and sending away the constable he got from the worthy couple, with much circumlocution, the story of the night’s mistakes. Being a man with some sense of humor, he was quite mollified by the comicalities of the situation, and even went so far as to take breakfast with the Johnsons.
“An’ after dis, ’Liah Johnsing,” was Aunt Lucy’s moral, “you’d better think twice ’fore you keep any mo’ secrets from yo’ lawful wedded wife!”