And pretty soon he come in, a tall, hulkin’ chap, good-natered but utterly irresponsible, so he seemed to me, black as a coal.
And Maggie laid his sins down before him as soft as she could and still be just, and ended by tellin’ him that he must marry Rosy.
This seemed to astound him that she should ask it; he looked injured and aggrieved.
But Maggie pressed the point. He stood twirlin’ his old cap in his hand in silence.
He did not deny his guilt at all, but he wuz surprised at the punishment she meted out to him.
Finally he spoke. “I tell you what, Miss Margaret, it is mighty hard on a fellah if you make a fellah marry everybody he pays attentions to.”
He looked the picture of aggrieved innocence in black.
But Maggie persisted. She told him he could move into a little buildin’ standin’ on the grounds; and as he was fairly faithful and hard-workin’, Maggie thought he would get a good livin’ for his wife and son.
“And you will love your child,” sez Maggie, lookin’ down into Boy’s sleepin’ face.
Finally, after long arguments and persuasions on Maggie’s part, Dan promised to marry Rosy.