And I sez, “Yes.” And he turned towards a more secluded corner nigh to the lake, and I ketched sight of Miss Greene Smythe settin’ in a hammock with three young men hoverin’ round her like small planets round the sun. Them Danglers I had hearn on, I felt sure from their looks, they looked sort o’ danglin’ somehow. Two of ’em wore white flannel and the other dark-blue woolen, with light-yellowish colored shues on all on ’em, kinder slips like, one on ’em had a banjo in his hand and one on ’em seemed to be singin’.
She wuz dressed in white, with a great broad hat all covered with white feathers and streamers and things, and her dress wuz white, too, and she wuz layin’ back in the hammock on some gay-colored cushions as easy as you please, and one of them Danglers had a big fan and wuz fannin’ her. But even as I looked that colt broke away from the landlord, and, bein’ skairt most to death, jest bounded into that peaceful group and scattered it like chaff before a whirlwind. She upset the feller with the banjo, steppin’ right into the fiddle as she jumped clean over the hammock, one heel kickin’ off and goin’ through that great white hat, and stepped into the stomach of the dangler who held the fan and broke off the feller’s song right in the most effective place, for he wuz jest singin’ in a deep beartone:
“Come where my love lies dreaming.”
And, as if in answer, the colt come, one foot come square down into them dreams, if she wuz dreamin’, and tore off more than five yards of lace and ribbons, whilst the other one took off the big hat, as I said, amidst her loud screams. My first thought wuz she would have a coniption fit, and even in that minute, so practical is my mind, I wondered what I should do without catnip or burnt feathers. But even as I thought this she turned towards me and see who I wuz and what had caused the fracas, for Josiah and the landlord wuz follerin’ on in hot pursuit, whilst the old mair stood in the background whinnerin’ to her colt, either in encouragement or remonstrance, I couldn’t tell which.
Miss Greene Smythe looked cross enough to eat a file at that first look, but immegiately the young men sprung up, one gathered up her laces and ribbons and placed ’em in her hands, another her fan and book, and, though I am ready to testify that that first look she gin me wuz mad as a-settin’ hen with a brindle dog round, before I could hardly git the run of that look and set it down in my mind memorandum, she put on a dretful warm smile, yet as queer lookin’ as any I ever see, and I have seen queer lookin’ smiles in my day and gin ’em, too, yes, indeed! and she come forward, holdin’ out her hand with the lace and ribbin danglin’ from it, and sez she, “How good of you to come, you will spend the day with me, won’t you?”
“Spend the day!” sez I, agast at the idee; “why, we have come to your reception and Bazar for that Heathen, but if I had knowed how that colt wuz goin’ to act we would tied it to the fills, we couldn’t leave it to home, for it hain’t weaned. I feel mortified and sorry to think it pitched into you so, and upset them Danglers,” I wuz jest a-goin’ to say, but bethought myself and sez, “them young chaps, I feel dretful sorry, and am willin’ to repair damages jest so fur as I can. I’ll give you one of my hats; and that fiddle,” sez I, “if it needs new strings I stand ready to git ’em, we have got more cats than we need round the barn, and I can furnish a dozen strings as well as not, and I’ll tell the young man so.” And I advanced towards ’em.
But she hurriedly drawed me off the other way, and sez she real warm, “How good of you, how extremely good of you to stay to the reception!” And then she sez, lookin’ round sort o’ helplessly and mournfully towards the Danglers, and then at me agin:
“You—oh!—let me see—yes—you come right up into my room, and dear Mr. Allen must come into the reading room. They have caught the colt, I see; I will rejoin you in a minute.”
And she slipped back to say a few words to them deserted Danglers, who looked as helpless and queer as planets might look when through some upheaval the sun wuz suddenly removed, and they wuz left hangin’ round in space with nothin’ to revolve round. I thought I hearn her say sunthin’ about havin’ to git a little rest, anyway; the idee I thought of anybody goin’ to bed at that time of day, and sunthin’ about seein’ ’em all to-night, and then she said she wouldn’t say good-by, but awe revoir, and they all said it to her, shakin’ hands with her and hangin’ over her hand as if they wuz goin’ to the fur Injys as missionaries liable to be eat up by savages, never to see her agin.