-v--vinegar."

"Thank goodness," Margaret exclaimed.

"Thar you go distressin' him," said Jasper.

Margaret took the cup and went into the kitchen and Mose, looking at
Starbuck, grinned in self-celebration of his victory.

"Ain't as h--h--hot as it was when it was h--h--h--hotter, is it?"

"Come to think of it, don't believe it is."

"M--m--m--might r--r--r--rain, soon."

"Yes, and it looks like we mout have snow some time next winter."

"Thank y--y--y--you," said Mose; and as Margaret entered and handed him
the cup of vinegar he thanked her, rewarded her with a grin, and
departed. For some time after his exit nothing was said, but finally
Margaret, standing near the window, began to look for the ends of the
broken thread of discourse.

"Now, let me see."

To help her out Starbuck volunteered his services. "We had got to whar I
was the biggest fool when I tried. Don't you ricolleck?"

"Oh, you want to git back to whar you was tryin' to pick a quarrel with
me, do you?"

"No, jest thought I'd help you out."

"It's no sich of a thing. You know you don't love me an' you jest want a
chance to tell me so."

"Did it ever hit you, Margaret, that a woman ought to put herself in a
condition to be loved? Scoldin' don't fetch out love no mo' than b'ilin'
water would fetch out blossoms."

"I don't scold, and I don't see why you always keep a hintin' that I do.
Scold! I never scolded in my life. You know you git mad every mornin' at
breakfust. Man's always mad till he gits suthin' to eat. Scold indeed.
And if I was to scold, which I don't, I'd have a cause."

"Cause! Did you ever know a woman to look fur a cause an' not find one?
Jest make a cause of the needle in the hay-stack an' the woman will find
it. And I want to tell you that the mo' causes a woman has the mo'
disagreeable she is."

"Oh, it's no sich of a thing. A woman may slave an' slave an' never go
off the place and--"

"Go off the place! Didn't you go to the barbecue over at the cross-roads
last year?"

"Last year," she repeated; "it was year befo' last. Yes, an' look how
you acted on that day--eat till I was ashamed o' you--acted like you
never got anythin' at home. I never was so mortified in my life. Saw you
standin' thar with the leg of a shote in yo' hand, a makin' of a
speech."

"I was askin' a blessin' over the meat. I admit that I was hungry on
that occasion; I'd been savin' myse'f up. Thar ain't no use in goin' to
a barbecue unless you