man, was fair crazy fer her heart, too, but
she had the givin' o' it herself, and this it was that caused all the
trouble.

"Green, the foreman, spied her talkin' to me on the verandah one day,
an' he came out an' praised her horse--a sure way to win her approval,
fer she was very fond o' the animal. I believe the young minx had seen
him before, fer she was over-ready to converse with him, an' whin I
left them they were talkin' and laughin' like old friends. That was
the beginnin', and soon the rumor went about that the foreman had at
last met his match. She occupied his time so much that the bridge work
was like to suffer, an' I heard that a letter came from the city askin'
about the delay. The sisters bitterly resented the clandestine
meetings when they heard o' them, an' Florence had a weary time o' it
between their scoldin's and the tongues of envious neighbors, but she
was a wilful child an' liked to have her own way regardless o' their
interferin'. I was afeard o' the outcome mesel', an' I spoke my mind
freely to Mr. Green. He resented my words at first, an' then, whin he
saw that I was really anxious, he told me that he loved her an' would
do what was honorable in the matter. I knew that he was earnin' big
pay, an' was well brought up an' educated, so I tried to convince
meself that he would make Florence a good husband; but I can't abide
people flyin' in the faces o' their families in such matters, an' I
told Florence so one day when she had dropped in fer a drink o'
buttermilk. She just took my hands in hers, an', lookin' me in the
eye, said, 'Mrs. McVeigh, ye do not understand. He is a fine, strong
man, an' will take me away to the city, where my sisters can't make my
life a burden. They are like ye, and doubt the worth o' him, but I
have had more chance than any o' ye to study his character, and I know
that he can make me happy.' I just couldn't reason with her against
that opinion, so I prayed every night that she wouldn't be
disappointed, and every day I lectured Green about his sinful habits,
an' impressed him with the sweet smile that fortune was beamin' upon
him, and how careful he must be not to shake the maid's faith in him.
'Never fear, Mistress McVeigh, I'm solid forever now,' he answered,
laughing at my seriousness.

"'Twas only a short while afterwards that a telegram came to Green to
go to the city. He told me o' it with a very grave face, an', says he,
'We must be married to-night,