hing that she was darning
in her hand, and shook it in a threatening manner at her eloquent
spouse.

'In a bit, Mr. Penrose, I geet as I couldn't for shame to look
into Betty's een at all; an' then aw took to blushin' every time
hoo come i' th' warehouse wi' her pieces, an' when hoo spoke, aw
trembled all o'er like a barrow full o' size. One day hoo'd a
float in her piece, and aw couldn't find it i' mi heart to bate
her. And when th' manager fun it aat, he said if I'd gone soft
o'er Betty, it were no reason why aw should go soft o'er mi wark,
and he towd me to do mi courtin' i' th' fields and not i' th'
factory. But it were yeasier said nor done, aw can tell yo', for
Betty were a shy un, and bided a deal o' gettin' at.

'There used to be a dur (door) leadin' aat o' th' owd warehaase
into th' weyvin' shed, an' one day aw get a gimlik an' bored a
hoile so as aw could peep thro' an' see Betty at her wark. It
wernd so often as aw'd a chance, bud whenever th' manager's back
were turned, an' aw were alone, I were noan slow to tak' my
chance. It were wheer I could just see Betty at her looms. Bless
thee, lass, aw think aw can see thee naa, bendin' o'er thi looms
wi' a neck as praad as a swan's, thi fingers almost as nimble as
th' shuttle, an' that voice o' thine treblin' like a brid!'

'Do ged on wi' yor tale, Malachi; what does Mr. Penrose want to
know abaat lasses o' forty year sin'? He's geddin' one o' his
own--and that's enough for him, aw'm sure.'

'Aw nobbud want him to know that there were bonnie lasses i' aar
time as well as i' his--that were all, Betty.'

'Well, ged on wi' yo', an' durnd be so long abaat it, Malachi.'

'One day, Mr. Penrose, as aw were peepin' through th' hoile i' th'
warehaase dur at Betty, aw could see that there were summat wrong
wi' one o' th' warps, for hoo were reachin' and sweatin' o'er th'
loom, an' th' tackler were stannin' at her side, an' a deal too
near and o' for my likin', aw con tell yo'.

'Just as hoo were stretchin' her arm, and bendin' her shoulders to
get owd o' th' ends, the tackler up wi' his an' clips her raand
th' waist.

'Well, hoo were up like a flesh o' greased leetnin', and fetched
him a smack o'er th' face as made him turn the colour o' taller
candles. Yo' remember that, Betty, durnd yo'?

'Yi! aw remember that, Malachi,' said the old woman, proudly
recalling the days of her youthful prowess; 'there were no man 'at
ever insulted me twice.'

'When aw see th' t