edgin' near up to her, 'give me my answer. I been waitin' a long time fur a yes. With that she grabbed knittin', apron, an' all, an' put 'em to her eyes an' rushed into the house. I knowed she 'd gone in to have a good cry an' settle her nerves, fur that's the way all women-folks does so I knowed it was no use to bother her until it was done. So I walks out to the fence, an', throwin' an arm over old Bess's back, I told her all about it, jest as I'm a-tellin' you, she a- lookin' at me with her big meltin' eyes an' whinnyin' soft like.
"After a little while the girl come out. She was herself ag'in, but there was a look in her face that turned my heart stone-cold. Her voice sounded kind o' sharp as she said, "'Liphalet, I've been a-thinkin' over what you said. I'm only a woman, an' I come purty near bein' a weak one; but I'm all right now. I don't mind tellin' you that ef I was ever goin' to marry, you'd be my choice, but I ain't a-goin' to have my father's sperrit a-thinkin' that I took advantage of his death to marry you. Good-bye, 'Liphalet. She held out her hand to me, an' I took it. Come an' see me sometimes,' she said. I could n't answer, so I went out and
