"Out with it," said Milford.
"No, not till you eat. I never like to choke off a man's appetite. I wouldn't like to have a man choke off mine. I'd be like old Matt Lindsey. The court said he must hang for murderin' a peddler. His lawyers took his case before the supreme bench. And after it had been argued one of 'em came down to the jail to see old Matt. Just about that time the jailer brought in his dinner. Old Matt said to the lawyer, 'Don't tell me till I've eat this stuff. Afterwards I mightn't be in the humor, and I don't want to miss a meal.' And it was a good thing he eat first."
"Well, is what you've got to say so bad as all that?"
"Not a hangin' affair, but it's bad enough. The fact is, you can make it just as bad as you want it.''
"If it rests with me, I'll not make it very bad. I'll tell you that."
"But I'll be hanged if it hain't made you turn pale. Why, you're scared, Bill. Oh, it's not so bad. I'll tell you now, seein' that I've already choked off your appetite. Why, there's a feller over at Mrs. Stuvic's that's too fresh. I was out by the windmill and your girl and a woman came along; and this feller was standin' off, not far away, talkin' to a chump that was with him, and he made a remark about the girl—won't tell you what it was, for a feller that's stuck don't like to hear such things repeated—I know I wouldn't. And I said to myself at the time, 'If Bill knowed that he'd mash your mouth.'"
"What sort of a looking fellow is he?" Milford quietly asked.
"Big feller. The hired man over there says his name's Dorsey. Just got here, I believe."
"All right. Did you fix the fence where the sheep broke in?"
"Somebody left the gap down. It's all right now."