“It was so quick an’ sudden, I forgot meself. Never afore hed I felt so peculiarly, so almighty mad.
“‘See here,’ I cries, jumpin’ up an’ liftin’ me cheer, ‘don’t you dast talk o’ Andy Horner’s dotter that ’ay,’ I sais. ‘Ef ye do——’
“I stopped, fer he’d leaned back, an’ was lookin’ at the ceilin’ an’ laughin’ an’ laughin’.
“‘I thot ye hedn’t no ailment,’ he sais.
“Be the twinkle in his eye I seen how he’d fooled me, an’ I set down feelin’ smaller than a bunty hen.
“‘Ye see,’ sais he, ‘I was comin’ th’oo the flats this mornin’ after I’d ben fishin’ trout up in the big run, an’ ez I passed Horner’s I noticed a most remarkable sight. There was Pet Horner a-nailin’ shingles on the barn roof while a strange man set on a chicken-coop smokin’. I sais to meself, I sais, ‘Ef that’s the way he gits a missus, I’ll do the housework tell me dyin’ day.’
“The ole man wasn’t laughin’ now. He was on a subject that was wery dear to him. His woice was husky with earnestness.
“‘Why don’t ye spruce up?’ he sais. ‘Can’t ye chop wood fer her, or churn fer her, or pick some stone offen the clearin’ fer her? Unly do somethin’ to show her ye ain’t the laziest man in the walley. Show her your right side.’
“‘Pap,’ sais I, ‘’hen my Missus takes me I wants her to know me jest ez I am, not as I otter be. Ef there’s any lettin’ on afore the weddin’ there’ll be no lettin’ up after it.’
“With that I gits up an’ walks outen the house, whistlin’ fer Major.