“I thot she’d faint.
“‘Why, you’re airly,’ she sais.
“‘We’ve come airly a purpose, Melissy,’ sais I. ‘We wants you to choose atween us.’
“That girl must ’a’ thot a heap o’ one o’ we two—which un I don’t know, but one sure, fer she kind o’ fell agin the table, graspin’ it fer support. She raised her apron over her face an’ gasped like.
“‘Take whichever one ye want,’ sais Hen kind o’ soft.
“She didn’t answer.
“‘Don’t keep us een suspenders,’ sais I.
“Then the apron fell from her face, showin’ it all a rosy red, an’ she tells us, ‘Boys, I’m awful sorry, but you’re late. I tuk Perry last night.’
“Hen an’ me turned on our heels an’ walked out. We didn’t say nawthin’ tell we come to the fork in the road.