"Joking aside," said she, "would you want me for a reason like that?"
"Well, no," he admitted frankly. "I'd want you to love me a lot."
"I'd make a pretty worthless wife otherwise. Honestly, Bill, I like you a great deal, but there's something lacking. And when there's something lacking, there's nothing to be done. Love is the greatest thing in the world, Bill. It's what makes life worth living. And you mustn't cheat it. If you do, you might better never have been born."
He nodded. Try as he might, he was unable to feel very badly. He decided to give it up as a hopeless job.
"I see," he said gravely. "Sometimes, Sally Jane, I get an idea that maybe you and me won't marry each other, after all. But no matter what happens, I'll always be a brother to you. You can count on me."
He arose and made her a flourishing bow.
"That," said Sally Jane, with her bright smile, "takes a load off my heart. As a sister, I know I'd fill every requirement. Be a good brother now, and do as I ask. Be a sheriff."
"All right," said Billy Wingo. "I will."