holler, Jasper, I'll--"

"Don't talk about it, Laz."

"All right. Good-day."

When he was gone the old man resumed his walk, musing: "Don't want to
see nuthin' red on the ground."

He took out his knife, put his foot on a chair, and began to cut his
shoe-strings. As he was cutting the string from the other shoe his wife,
peeping round at him, inquired:

"Whut you do that fur?"

"I don't want to die with them on if I kin help it." And shutting his
knife with a snap he resumed his walk up and down the room. "And I am a
fixin' 'em so I kin kick 'em off."

"For mercy sake, Jasper, don't talk thatter way."

His sense of humor came back to him. "Oh, I may not have to kick 'em
off. It wouldn't surprise me if somebody else done the kickin'. But
it's better to be prepared. The good Book says--"

"Oh, now, the good Book don't say no sich of a thing, and you know it.
What makes you allus want to fetch in the good Book? Don't you know it
say, 'Thou shan't kill?' Don't you?"

"Yes, but I ain't found whar it say, 'Thou shall let a feller kill
you.'"

"Oh, there ought to be some way a smoothin' of it over."

"Yes, Margaret, a smoothin' of it over an' a pattin' it down with a
shovel."

"Oh, fur goodness sake, don't talk thatter way. It distresses me so."

"Why, jest a while ago you was fretted because I didn't treat it
serious. Wush you'd sorter draw off in writin' what you want me to do."

"Don't talk thatter way. I am so anxious, an' 'specially at this time
when--"

"When what?"

"When these folks air here--when that young feller is a payin' so much
attention to Lou."

"Don't worry about her, Margaret. If she has to take bitter medicine,
she'll do it an' smack her mouth."

"But, Jasper, he's the son of a United States Jedge."

"Wall, but thar ain't no objection to that, is there?"

"Oh, how tormentin' a man kin be when he tries."

"Oh, how tormentin' a woman kin be when she don't try."

"Did anybody ever hear the like? Jasper, don't you see how much Lou is a
thinkin' of him? Air you so blind that you can't see that? An' you know
that the app'intment of Peters mout spile it all."

The old man shrugged. "Yes, mout spile it all fur Peters. Let me tell
you suthin'. I ain't a stairrin' round to see how much one pusson thinks
of another, an' I don't know how much she keers fur that young feller,
but I do know that she is worthy of any man that ever trod shoe luther.
We give her all the freedom a girl wants