arent.

"And better," said Seffy, with a lump in his throat. "I know I ain't no
good with girls--and I don't care!"

"Yes!" she assented wickedly. "There _are_ better ones."

"Sam Pritz--"

Sally looked away, smiled, and was silent.

"Sulky Seffy!" she finally said.

"If he does stink of salt mackerel, and 'most always drunk!" Seffy went
on bitterly. "He's nothing but a molasses-tapper!"

Sally began to drift farther away and to sing. Calling Pritz names was
of no consequence--except that it kept Seffy from making love to her
while he was doing it--which seemed foolish to Sally. The old man came
up and brought them together again.

"Oach! go 'long and make lofe some more. I like to see it. I expect I
am an old fool, but I like to see it--it's like ol' times--yas, and if
you don't look out there, Seffy, I'll take a hand myself--yassir! go
'long!"

He drew them very close together, each looking the other way. Indeed he
held them there for a moment, roughly.

Seffy stole a glance at Sally. He wanted to see how she was taking his
father's odiously intimate suggestion. But it happened that Sally wanted
to see how he was taking it. She laughed with the frankest of joy as
their eyes met.

"Seffy--I _do_--like you," said the coquette. "And you ought to know it.
You imp!"

Now this was immensely stimulating to the bashful Seffy.

"I like _you_," he said--"ever since we was babies."

"Sef--I don't believe you. Or you wouldn't waste your time so--about Sam
Pritz!"

"Er--Sally--where you going to to-night?" Seffy meant to prove himself.

And Sally answered, with a little fright at the sudden aggressiveness
she had procured.

"Nowheres that _I_ know of."

"Well--may I set up with you?"

The pea-green sunbonnet could not conceal the utter amazement and then
the radiance which shot into Sally's face.

"Set--up--with--me!"

"Yes!" said Seffy, almost savagely. "That's what I said."

"Oh, I--I guess so! Yes! of course!" she answered variously, and rushed
off home.

"You know I own you," she laughed back, as if she had not been
sufficiently explicit. "I paid for you! Your pappy's got the money!
I'll expect my property to-night."

"Yas!" shouted the happy old man, "and begoshens! it's a reg'lar
bargain! Ain't it, Seffy? You her property--real estate, hereditaments
and tenements." And even Seffy was drawn into the joyous laughing
conceit of it! Had he not just done the bravest thing of his small life?

"Ye