what it
ought to do. Reason is a business matter and it can make matches, but it
cannot make love.

Long I sat there, gripping the desk, gazing at the rafters overhead,
groaning in the lover's conscious luxury of despair. Should I go away?
No; I would stay and see it out. I would be light and gay--a bear's
waltz. I would laugh and rebuke fate; I would punish Guinea for having
played with that boy up and down the brook; I would be all sorts of a
fool.

The old man's voice came ringing through the air. "Hike, there, Sam;
hike, there, Bob. Get him down. Hike, there!"

He was having a round with his chickens, to fan off the atmosphere of
humiliation, to blow away the hot ashes that were so thick upon him. I
remembered that I had not delivered Mrs. Jucklin's message, and I
hastened out to the "stockade," and knocked at the gate. "Hike, there,
boys! Who's that? Whoa, boys, that'll do! Go in there, Sam! Ho, it's
you, eh?" he said, opening the gate. "Sorry, but you didn't git here
quite in time. You had the opportunity, but you flung it away. What,
gone over to Parker's? That's all right. Well, I must be gettin' back to
the field. Looks like the grass will take me in spite of everything I
can do. You'll help until they get the school-house built? Now, I'm much
obleeged to you, but we can't rig up another outfit. Why, yander you go
already," he added, pointing to a wagon load of lumber drawn along the
road. "It's Perdue's wagon. Yander comes another one, with Ren Bowles,
the carpenter, on board. Oh, they are goin' to rush things. I've heard
that already this mornin'. You never saw a neighborhood stirred up much
worse than this one is over that affair, and there is strong talk of
lynchin' them fellers; and this mornin' a party went over to see old
Aimes and told him that if he wan't gone by 10 o'clock they would string
him up, and I reckon he's gone by this time. They are makin' great
heroes oute'n you and Alf, I tell you. A number of 'em wanted to see
you, but Alf wouldn't let 'em wake you up. I saw Parker while I was down
at the shop; he'd jest got back from town; and he told me that the grand
jury that's now in session would indict them fellers to-day, and as
court is already set they may be brought to trial for murderous assault
and arson right away, and I want to tell you that they'll do well if
they save their necks. Parker said that he reckoned you and Alf better
go over to Purdy to-morrow. Well, I must git back, for t