ay to follow the conversation.

"It's life, that's what it is," commented Solomon, heaving a sigh that
burst a button hole in his blue shirt. "An' what's mo' than life, it's
marriage. When I see the way some men wear themselves out with wantin'
little specks of women, I say to myself over an' over agin, 'Ah, if they
only knew that thar ain't nothin' in it except the wantin'.'"

"Not another thing--not another blessed mite of a thing," agreed
William, who had imbibed secretly again behind the back of his wife.

"I've know a man to throw himself into the river from sheer love befo'
marriage," said Solomon, "an' two weeks arter the woman had taken
him, to fall out with her because she'd put too much shortenin' in his
pie-crust."

"It's all love befo' marriage an' all shortenin' arterwards," observed
Betsey Bottom, with scorn. "I've al'ays noticed in this world that the
less men folks have to say for themselves the better case they make of
it. When they've spent all thar time sence Adam tryin' to throw dust in
the eyes of women, it would be better manners if they'd stop twittin'
'em because they'd succeeded."

"True, true, you never spoke a truer word, ma'am, in my acquaintance
with you," responded Solomon, with what hasty gallantry he could summon.
"I was thinkin' them very things to myself when you mentioned 'em. Not
that anybody could throw dust in yo' eyes, even if he tried to."

"Well, it would take mo'n a man to do that, I reckon," she replied,
amiably enough, "I saw through 'em early, an' when you've once seen
through 'em it's surprisin' how soon the foolishness of men begins to
look like any other foolishness on earth."

She was listened to with respectful and flattering attention by her
guests, who leaned forward with pipes in hand and vacant, admiring eyes
on her still comely features. It was a matter of gossip that she had
refused half the county, and that her reason for marrying William had
been that he wasn't "set," and would be easy to manage. The event had
proved the prophecy, and to all appearance it was a perfectly successful
mating.

Abel was the first to move under her gaze, and rising from his chair by
the fire, he took up his hat, and made his way slowly through the group,
which parted grudgingly, and closed quickly together.

"Take a night to sleep on yo' temper Abel," called Solomon after him,
"and git a good breakfast inside of you befo' you start out to do
anything rash. Well, I must be gi