tackle
the job?"

"By makin' her my wife," sez he.

The mystery wuz all explained, my dignity and my beloved pardner's
safety all assured. I felt a feeling of infinite relief, and yet I
felt like a fool, and I blamed him severely for this ridiculous
_contrary temps_ that had occurred in my mind.

"Of course," sez he, "it is a great rise for her, I have hearn that
she hain't worth much, as I count wealth, and as we are speakin' in
confidence, I will say that there is a rich widder here who has hopes
of me, and mebby I've gin her some encouragement, kinder accidental,
as you may say, but I ort to know better. Widdowers can't be too
careful; they do great harm, let 'em be as careful as possible. They
tromple right and left over wimmen's hearts do the best they can. But
since I have seen Miss Smith and witnessed her sad face I have done a
sight of thinkin'. Here the case lays, the widder is strong, she can
stand trouble better. The widder is happy, for she has got that which
will make any woman happy--health, wealth, and property. And I've been
turnin' it over in my mind that mebby Duty is drawin' me away from the
widder and towards the maid. It hain't because the widder is homely as
the old Harry that influences me, no not at all. But the thought of
lightenin' the burden of the sad and down hearted, makin' the mournful
eyes dance with ecstasy, and the skrinkin' form bound with joy
like--like--the boundin' row on the hill tops. Now as the case stands
marry I will and must. My wife has already been lost for a period of
three months lackin' three weeks. She sweetly passed away murmurin',
'I am glad to go.'"

"No wonder at that!" I sez, "no wonder!"

"Yes, she wuz a Christian and she passed sweetly up into the Hevings,
thank the Lord!" sez he lookin' acrost onto Faith's sweet face, for
she had come back and set down acrost the room.

"She is better off, I hain't a doubt on't!" sez I fervently.

"I don't know about that. I did well by her, and she felt as well as
myself, that to be my wife wuz a fate not often gin to mortal
wimmen."

"That is so!" sez I fervently, "that is so!"

"Yes she wuz proud and happy durin' her life. I did everything for
her. I killed a chicken durin' her last sickness onasked, jest to
surprise her with soup. She lived proud and happy and died happy."

"I hain't a doubt that she died happy."

"No," sez he, "and now I must make a choice of her successor. It is a
hard job to do," sez he.