r we had found
ourselves short in the matter of provisions. We told her that we had
brought back nearly all the load which her kindness had imposed upon us,
and then with disappointment she said: "Goodness alive, why didn't you
give it to those poor fellows to take to the penitentiary with 'em, for
I know that there's nothin' there fitten to eat."

The old man stood looking at her, with his coat off and with his
shirt-sleeves rolled up. "Susan," said he, "I don't want to git mad, I
don't want to go out yander, snatch them chickens out of the coop an'
make 'em nod at each other in the dark, but when you talk that way you
almost drive me--by jings, you almost drive me out there agin that tree,
hard enough to butt the bark off. Do you reckon they are takin' them
fellers down there to feed 'em, to fatten 'em up and then turn 'em
loose? Hah, is that your idee? 'Zounds, madam, they are lucky to get
there with their necks. And here you are lamentin' that there's nothin'
at the penitentiary fitten to eat. Go on to bed, Susan, for if you don't
I'm afeered that I'll have to say somethin' to hurt your feelin's, and
then I'd worry about it all night."

"Now Limuel, what is the use in snortin' round that way? Can't a body
say a word?"

"It do look like a body can," he rejoined; "and I'm afeered that a body
will, and that's the reason I want you to go to bed."

Old Lim sat down and the subject was dropped. I noticed his wife looking
anxiously at me, and just as I was about to leave the room she said:
"Mr. Hawes, you'll please pardon me for mentionin' it, but there's a
button off your coat, and I'll be glad to sew it on if you will be so
kind as to leave it down here."

"No, I will sew it on," Guinea spoke up. "Give me your coat, Mr. Hawes."

"I will not be the means of keeping you up any longer," I replied,
looking into her eyes, and feeling the thrill of their sweet poison; "I
will do it myself."

"And rob me of a pleasure?" she asked.

"No, relieve you of a drudgery. Come on, Alf."

Two fools went to bed in the dark and sighed themselves to sleep, and
two fools dreamed; I know that one did--dreamed of eyes and smiles and a
laugh like a musical cluck.

CHAPTER X.

More than a month passed and they were still working on the
school-house. The simple plan had been drawn with but a few strokes of a
pencil, the sills had been placed without delay, but they had to plane
the boards by hand and that had taken time. Alf