of THAT cash
go for fines, and he realized it.

"'Twas in early June, only a few weeks ago, that the widow come to our
hotel. I never thought she meant it when she said she was comin', and so
I didn't expect her. Fact is, I was expectin' to hear that she and Tobe
Loveland was married or engaged. But there was a slip up somewheres, for
all to once the depot wagon brings her to the Old Home House, she hires
a room, and settles down to stay till the season closed, which would be
in about a fortn't.

"From the very fust she played her cards for Jonadab. He meant to be
middlin' average frosty to her, I imagine--her bein' so thick with
Tobias prejudiced him, I presume likely. But land sakes! she thawed
him out like hot toddy thaws out some folks' tongues. She never took no
notice of his coldness, but smiled and gushed and flattered, and looked
her prettiest--which was more'n average, considerin' her age--and by the
end of the third day he was hangin' round her like a cat round a cook.

"It commenced to look serious to me. Jonadab was a pretty old fish to
be caught with soft soap and a set of false crimps; but you can't
never tell. When them old kind do bite, they gen'rally swallow hook and
sinker, and he sartinly did act hungry. I wished more'n once that Peter
T. Brown, our business manager, was aboard to help me with advice, but
Peter is off tourin' the Yosemite with his wife and her relations, so
whatever pilotin' there was I had to do. And every day fetched Jonadab's
bows nigher the matrimonial rocks.

"I'd about made up my mind to sound the fog horn by askin' him straight
out what he was cal'latin' to do; but somethin' I heard one evenin', as
I set alone in the hotel office, made me think I'd better wait a spell.

"The office window was open and the curtain drawed down tight. I was
settin' inside, smokin' and goin' over the situation, when footsteps
sounded on the piazza and a couple come to anchor on the settee right by
that window. Cap'n Jonadab and Henrietta! I sensed that immediate.

"She was laughin' and actin' kind of queer, and he was talkin' mighty
earnest.

"'Oh, no, Cap'n! Oh, no!' she giggles. 'You mustn't be so serious on
such a beautiful night as this. Let's talk about the moon.'

"'Drat the moon!' says Jonadab. 'Hettie, I--'

"'Oh, just see how beautiful the water looks! All shiny and--"

"'Drat the water, too! Hettie, what's the reason you don't want to talk
serious with me? If that Tobe Lovelan