erything, not omitting Mercedes Higgins' part
in the transaction, nor Mercedes Higgins' remarkable burial trousseau.
But Billy was not to be led aside by the latter. In terms anything but
uncertain he told Saxon that she was not to work for money.

"But I have so much spare time, Billy, dear," she pleaded.

He shook his head.

"Nothing doing. I won't listen to it. I married you, and I'll take care
of you. Nobody can say Bill Roberts' wife has to work. And I don't want
to think it myself. Besides, it ain't necessary."

"But Billy--" she began again.

"Nope. That's one thing I won't stand for, Saxon. Not that I don't like
fancy work. I do. I like it like hell, every bit you make, but I like it
on YOU. Go ahead and make all you want of it, for yourself, an' I'll
put up for the goods. Why, I'm just whistlin' an' happy all day long,
thinkin' of the boy an' seein' you at home here workin' away on all them
nice things. Because I know how happy you are a-doin' it. But honest to
God, Saxon, it'd all be spoiled if I knew you was doin' it to sell. You
see, Bill Roberts' wife don't have to work. That's my brag--to myself,
mind you. An' besides, it ain't right."

"You're a dear," she whispered, happy despite her disappointment.

"I want you to have all you want," he continued. "An' you're goin' to
get it as long as I got two hands stickin' on the ends of my arms. I
guess I know how good the things are you wear--good to me, I mean, too.
I'm dry behind the ears, an' maybe I've learned a few things I oughtn't
to before I knew you. But I know what I'm talkin' about, and I want
to say that outside the clothes down underneath, an' the clothes down
underneath the outside ones, I never saw a woman like you. Oh--"

He threw up his hands as if despairing of ability to express what he
thought and felt, then essayed a further attempt.

"It's not a matter of bein' only clean, though that's a whole lot. Lots
of women are clean. It ain't that. It's something more, an' different.
It's... well, it's the look of it, so white, an' pretty, an' tasty. It
gets on the imagination. It's something I can't get out of my thoughts
of you. I want to tell you lots of men can't strip to advantage, an'
lots of women, too. But you--well, you're a wonder, that's all, and you
can't get too many of them nice things to suit me, and you can't get
them too nice.

"For that matter, Saxon, you can just blow yourself. There's lots of
easy money layin' around. I'm