mply said: "Yes, time that we were
going."

"Don't be in a hurry, gentlemen," the General protested; "don't let a
trivial matter rob us of your society."

Alf pulled back, but I insisted, and so we took our leave. The old
gentleman came out upon the porch with us. "Henry!" he yelled, turning
about, "who the devil left that gate open? Go and shut it, you lazy
scoundrel. Those infamous new-comers over on the creek take my place for
a public highway. And I hope to be hung up by the heels if I don't fill
the last one of them full of shot."

"I'll never forget you," Alf remarked as we walked along, down through
the meadow. "You have stood by me, and you bet your life I don't forget
such things. Of course, I have known the old man ever since I can
remember, but he never treated me so well before. And when the time
comes, if I can get him in that dining-room I don't believe he'll refuse
me. It's a blamed big pity that I can't talk as you can, but you just
stick to me and I will talk all right after a while."

"Oh, I'll stick to you," I replied, "but I didn't notice that I talked
in a way to amount to anything. I felt as stupid as an ass looks. What
did the girl say? You were talking to her very earnestly over by the
window."

"To save my life, I can't recall anything she said, Bill, but I know
that every word she spoke was dripped honey. I'd almost give my life to
take her in my arms and hug her just once. Ever feel that way about a
girl?"

I was beginning to feel just exactly that way, but I told him no,
whereupon he said: "But you may one of these days, and whenever you do,
you call on me to help you, and I'll do it, I don't care who the girl is
or how high up she may stand. Many a night I have lain in bed and wished
that Millie might be going along the road by herself and that about
three men would come up and say something out of the way to her, just so
I could spring out and wipe the face of the earth with them. I'm not as
big as you are, but for her I'll bet I can whip any three men you ever
saw. By the way, don't even speak Millie's name at home. The folks don't
know that I'm in love with her. There's one thing that stands in my
favor."

"What is it?" I asked. He looked up at me, but was silent, and becoming
interested by his manner I was about to repeat the question, when he
said: "I'm not at liberty to speak of it yet. You've noticed that
Guinea has more education than I have. Well, her education has somethin