n' some myself, Miss Hester, an' it
's been about you."

"About me? La, 'Liphalet, what have you been a-thinkin' now?" The "now"
sounded as if his thoughts were usually rather irresponsible.

"It was about you an'--an'--old Bess."

"About me an' old Bess! Bless my soul, man, will you stop beatin' about
the bush an' tell me what on airth I 've got to do with yore horse?"

"Old Bess is dead, Miss Hester; died last night o' colic."

"Well, I thought there was somethin' the matter with you. I 'm mighty
sorry to hear about the poor old creatur; but she 'd served you a long
while."

"That 's jest what set me a-thinkin': she has served me a long while,
an' now she 's dead. Do you know what that means, Miss Hester? It means
that we 're a-gittin' old, you an' me. Do you know when I got old Bess?
It was nigh thirty years ago: I used to ride her up to this door an'
tie her to that tree out there: it was a saplin' then. An' now she 's
dead."

The man's voice trembled, and his listener was strangely silent.

"You know on what errands the old horse used to bring me," he went on,
"but it was n't to be,--then. Hester," he rose, went over to her, and
looked down into her half-averted face, which went red and pale by
turns,--"Hester, 'ain't we wasted time enough?"

There was a long pause before she lifted her face: he stood watching her
with the light of a great eagerness in his eyes. At last she spoke.
There was a catch in her voice; it was softer than usual.

"'Liphalet," she began, "I 'm right glad you remember those days. I
'ain't never furgot 'em myself. It 's true you 've been a good, loyal
friend to me, an' I thank you fur it, but, after all these years--"

He broke in upon her with something like youthful impetuosity. "After
all these years," he exclaimed, "an endurin' love ought to be rewarded.
Hester, I ain't a-goin' to take 'no' fur an answer. I 've got lots o'
years o' life in me yet,--we both have,--an' I ain't a-goin' on with an
empty home an' an empty heart no longer."

"'Liphalet, you ain't a young man no more, an' I ain't a young woman,
an' the Lord--"

"I don't care ef I ain't; an' I don't believe in shovin' everything off
on the Lord."

"'Liphalet!" It was a reproach.

"Hester!" This was love. He put his arm around her and kissed her. "You
're a-goin' to say yes, ain't you? You ain't a-goin' to send me away
miserable? You 're a-dyin' to say yes, but you 're a-tryin' to force
yoreself not to. Don't."