her to the fence and fanned vigorously.

"It ain't goin' to be the lawyer, either," she informed the expectant
Mrs. Lathrop, "'n' I hav' n't no tears to shed over _that_. I went
there the first thing after dinner, 'n' he give me a solid chair 'n'
whirled aroun' in one 't twisted, 'n' I did n't fancy such manners
under such circumstances a _tall_. I'd say suthin' real serious 'n'
he'd brace himself ag'in his desk 'n' take a spin 's if I did n't
count for sixpence. I could n't seem to bring him around to the
seriousness of the thing nohow. 'N' I come right out square 'n' open
in the very beginnin' too, for Lord knows I 'm dead sick o' beatin'
around the bush o' men's natural shyness. He whirled himself clean
around two times 'n' then said 's long 's I was so frank with him 't
it 'd be nothin' but a joy for him to be equally frank with me 'n'
jus' say 's he'd rather not. I told him he 'd ought to remember 's he
'd have a lot o' business when father died 'f he kept my good will,
but he was lookin' over 'n' under himself to see how near to unscrewed
he was 'n' if it was safe to keep on turnin' the same way any longer,
'n' upon my honor, Mrs. Lathrop, I was nigh to mad afore he got ready
to remark 's father 'd left him a legacy on condition 't he did n't
charge nothin' for probatin'."

Mrs. Lathrop chewed her clover.

"So I come away, 'n' I declare my patience is nigh to gin out. This
gettin' married is harder 'n' house-paintin' in fly-time. I d'n' know
when I 've felt so tired. Here's three nights 't I 've had to make my
ideas all over new to suit a different husband each night. It made my
very bones ache to think o' pilin' them eight children 'n' the
minister on top o' father, 'n' then the next night it was a good jump
out to that farm, f'r I never was one to know any species o'
fellow-feelin' with pigs 'n' milkin'. 'N' last night!--well, you know
I never liked Mr. Weskin anyhow. But I d'n' know who I _can_ get now.
There's Mrs. Healy's husband, o' course; but when a woman looks
happier in her coffin 'n she ever looked out of it it's more'n a hint
to them's stays behind to fight shy o' her husband. They say he used
to throw dishes at her, 'n' I never could stand that--I'm too careful
o' my china to risk any such goin's on."

Mrs. Lathrop started to speak, but got no further.

"There's a new clerk in the drug-store,--I see him through the window
when I was comin' home to-day. He looked to be a nice kind o' man, but
I