to feel like he was forced to feel,--'nless they've
been expectin' to be married 'n' then been discharged themselves
instead. He says he looked about most doleful 'n' wished he was dead or
anythin' that's warm, 'n' then he got down from the stack 'n' set on a
old wagon tongue 'n' jus' tried to figger on if there was n't no way as
he could think up as would make Tilly have him. He says the bitter part
was to reflect as he had to work to make Tilly have him, when it 'd
really ought by all rights to have been the other way. He says to think
o' that nose 'n' then him obliged to work 'n' slave to get hold of it!"

"I--" began Mrs. Lathrop.

"Well, he see it different," said Susan; "he says,--'n' I can't in
reason see how any one as knows as little as you, Mrs. Lathrop, can deny
him,--he says as no one as gets married easy at the end of courtin' can
possibly figger on the difficulties of gettin' married hard. He says it
was jus' beyond belief the way he felt as he set there reflectin' on his
wasted summer 'n' Tilly flippin' aroun' all unconcerned over him leavin'
in the end. He says his blood begun to slowly begin to boil as he set
there thinkin', 'n' in the end he jus' up an' hit the wagon-tongue with
his fist 'n' said 'By Jinks!' 'n' he says when he says 'By Jinks,' it
_is_ the end, 'n' don't you forget it.

"He says he 'd no sooner said 'By Jinks' than he thought of a plan, 'n'
he says Lord forgive him if he ever thinks of such another plan. He says
what put it into his head Heaven only knows, only o' course he never
expected as it would work out as it did. He says he thought as she 'd
see what he was up to 'n' stop him along half-way. But Oh, my, he says,
you never can count on a woman, 'n' then he rubbed his chin with his
hand for a long time 'n' said all over again 'never can count on a
woman.'

"Well, he says after he'd thought o' the plan he went right to work to
carry it out. He says it was one o' them plans as dilly-dally is death
on. So he begun by makin' sure as she was pastin' labels on pickle-jars
in the back wood-house 'n' then he went out by the shed 'n' got some old
clothes-line as was hangin' there 'n' come round to where the
bingin'-pole was 'n' whittled notches in it 'n' tied a piece o' the line
hard aroun' the end. He says all the time he was tyin' he was countin'
on her runnin' right out 'n' askin' him what under the sun he was
doin',--but she never budged."

"What--" asked Mrs. Lathrop.

"Well,