mug er cider, an' went raound so kinder quiet, and sympathizing that I
found the wrinkles in my temper gettin' smoothed aout 'mazin' quick;
an' fore long I made a clean breast er the hull thing. Bewlah larfed,
but I didn't mind her doin' on't, for she sez, sez she, real sort o'
cunnin',--

"'Poor Hiram! they didn't use yeou waal. Yeou ought to hev tried some
er the poor an' humly girls; they'd a been glad an' grateful fer such
a sweetheart as yeou be.'

"I was good-natered ag'in by that time, an' I sez, larfin' along with
her, 'Waal, I've got three mittens, but I guess I might's waal hev
'nother, and that will make two pair complete. Say, Bewlah, will yeou
hev me?'

"'Yes, I will.' sez she.

"'Reelly?' sez I.

"'Solemn trew,' sez she.

"Ef she'd up an' slapped me in the face, I shouldn't hev ben more
throwed aback, fer I never mistrusted she cared two chips for me. I
jest set an' gawped; fer she was 'solemn trew,' I see that with half
an eye, an' it kinder took my breath away. Bewlah drawed the grewel
off the fire, wiped her hands, an' stood lookin' at me a minnet, then
she sez, slow an' quiet, but tremblin' a little, as women hev a way er
doin', when they've consid'able steam aboard,--

"'Hiram, other folks think lumberin' has spilt yeou; _I_ don't; they
call you rough an' rewd; _I_ know you've got a real kind heart fer
them as knows haow tew find it. Them girls give yeou up so easy,
'cause they never loved yeou, an' yeou give them up 'cause you only
thought abaout their looks an' money. I'm humly, an' I'm poor; but
I've loved yeou ever sence we went a-nuttin' years ago, an' yeou shook
daown fer me, kerried my bag, and kissed me tew the gate, when all the
others shunned me, 'cause my father drank an' I was shabby dressed,
ugly, an' shy. Yeou asked me in sport, I answered in airnest; but I
don't expect nothin' unless yeou mean as I mean. Like me, Hiram, or
leave me, it won't make no odds in my lovin' of yeou, nor helpin' of
yeou, ef I kin.'

"'Tain't easy tew say haouw I felt, while she was goin' on that way,
but my idees was tumblin' raound inside er me, as ef half a dozen dams
was broke loose all tew oncet. One think was ruther stiddier 'n the
rest, an' that was that I liked Bewlah more 'n I knew. I begun tew see
what kep' me loafin' tew hum so much, sence aunt was took daown; why I
wan't in no hurry tew git them other gals, an' haow I come tew pocket
my mittens so easy arfter the fust rile was over. Bewla