she never could, ner
nobody else, I reckon. An' I'll just go on a-lovin' you, no matter what
happens; an' I ain't a-carin' whether you got a woman already er not,
er whether you-all have robbed er killed, er what you done. An'--an'--so
I'm a-tellin' you, you'd best not let her come back here no more,
'cause--'cause I just naturally can't stand hit ter see youuns
tergether! 'Fore God, I'm a-tellin' you true,--I'll sure hurt her!"

The girl's voice raised to a pitch of frenzied excitement, and,
whirling, she pointed to the river, as she cried: "Look out there! What
do you-all reckon your fine Betty Jo lady would do if I was ter git
her ketched in them there rapids? What do you-all reckon the Elbow Rock
water would do ter her? I'll tell you what hit'd do: Hit would smash an'
grind an' tear an' hammer that there fine, straight body of hers
'til hit was all broken an' twisted an' crooked a heap worse'n what I
be,--that's what hit would do; an' hit would scratch an' cut an' beat up
that pretty face an' mess up her pretty hair an' choke her an' smother
her 'til she was all blue-black an' muddy, an' her eyes was red an'
starin', an' she was nothin' but just an ugly lump of dirt; an' hit
wouldn't even leave her her fine clothes neither,--the Elbow Rock water
wouldn't,--hit'd just naturally tear 'em off her, an' leave her 'thout
ary thing what's makin' you love her like you're a-doin'! An' where
would all her fine schoolin' an' smart talk an' pretty ways be then? Eh?
She wouldn't be no better, nor half as good as me, I'm a-tellin' you,
onct Elbow Rock got done with her!"

The poor creature finished in wild triumph; then suddenly, as though
spent with the very fury of her passion, she turned from the river, and
said dully: "You'd sure best not let her come back, sir! 'Fore God, I
ain't a-wantin' ter do hit, but hit seems like I can't help myself; I
can't sleep for wantin' ter fix hit so,--so's you just couldn't want
ter have her no more'n you're a-wantin' me. I--I--sure ain't a-foolin'
myself none, not ary bit, a-thinkin' you-all could ever git ter
likin' sich as me; but, I can't help sort of dreamin' 'bout hit an'
a-pretendin', an'--an' all the while I'm a-knowin', inside er me like,
that there ain't nobody,--not Auntie Sue, nor this here Betty Jo, nor
that there other woman, nor anybody,--what kin care for you like I'm
a-carin',--they just naturally couldn't care like me; 'cause--'cause,
you see, sir, I ain't got nobody else,--