“‘Did I!’ sais she, flarin’ up. ‘Well, I guesst I did. An’ the chickens was so stirred up they kep’ on all night an’ not a wink o’ sleep did we git in this house. I never heerd sech bass-horn blowin’.’
“Borax jest hung his head an’ shuffled his feet.
“The widdy spoke up agin. ‘Does you ever see Bill Hooker?’
“‘Oncet in a long while,’ Borax answers.
“‘Well, you tell him,’ she sais, ‘that next time he comes up here to serynade me to send notice so I can git over the other side the mo’ntain.’
“Borax Bumbletree gasped an’ almost fell offen the wood-box.
“‘How’d you know it was Bill Hooker?’ he asts quick.
“‘Well, didn’t I see that new fandangled hat o’ hisn—that cady I’ve heerd so much about. Why, I’d ’a’ knowd him a mile.’
“Now Borax wasn’t ez slow on everything ez he was on music. He was right smart, he was. He seen the way the wind blowed.
“Gittin’ offen the wood-box he went over to the settee alongside o’ her.