again struck Sydney's ears.

"Never, never, never!"

Melissa was tremulously insistent.

"Ah'll make you-all sorry you ever married Bud Yarebrough," the man
responded, and Sydney turned the corner just in time to see him seize
Melissa by the waist and lean over to kiss her. The girl took advantage
of the loosening of his hold as he caught sight of Miss Carroll, and
delivered him a resounding slap upon his cheek, when she turned panting
to her opportune visitor.

"You-all saw, Miss Sydney, he didn' do hit! He's that hateful, he won'
let me alone,--always pesterin' roun' here when Bud ain' to home. Ah
'low Ah jus' hate him!"

Stricken still with surprise, Sydney sat upon her horse, her face
scarlet with distress and stern with disapproval. Pink glanced up at
her, and began to sidle off, abashed. He could not forbear, however,
throwing back a parting threat.

"You-all remember what Ah said. Ah'll make you sorry you ever married
Bud Yarebrough."

"What does it mean, Melissa?" asked Sydney, dropping from the saddle
and turning her face, now colorless, upon the weeping little wife
crouching in a corner of the doorway.

"Jus' what you-all heard, Miss Sydney. He's always comin' here when
Bud's away; 'n when he meets Bud anywheres they's always quar'lin', 'n
Ah'm jus' wore out with him."

Sydney hung the horse's bridle over the end of an upturned horseshoe
nailed to a tree before the cabin, and sat down on the door-step beside
her humble friend.

"Melissa, tell me,"--she was very grave,--"did he ever before--does
he----?"

She sought vainly for some phrase less bald than that which seemed so
uncompromisingly full of embarrassment.

"Did he ever try to kiss me, ye mean? No, indeed, Miss Sydney; he sho'
didn'. Only one time when Ah was a girl we kep' company fo' a right
smart bit, 'n one night, when a lot of us was playin' tag in the
pasture, he caught me 'n kissed me. That's the only time, hones', Miss
Sydney. He never done a thing like this befo' to-day since Ah been
married; jus' hung roun' 'n been aggravatin'."

Sydney took the hard hand between her own soft palms and stroked it
gently.

"Hush, dear, don't sob like that. Can't Bud keep him away? Can't he
forbid him to come here?"

"Ah'd be afraid to tell him about this, he's that fiery-tempered, Bud
is. He goes along jus' as easy, 'n then some day he jus' natchelly goes
rarin'. When Ah've tol' him how Pink comes botherin' me, he jus' says,
'Pore feller, h