head in flamin' letters. Pa used to say
'twas a wonder it never set fire to my crimps, but he was only foolin'.
I know that it's all comin' out true. You ain't acquaintanced to any
Butlers, are you?'

"'No,' says I. 'I heard Ben Butler make a speech once when he was
gov'nor, but he's dead now. There ain't no Butlers on the Old Home
shippin' lists.'

"'Oh, I know that!' she says. 'And everybody round here is homelier'n a
moultin' pullet. There now! I didn't mean exactly EVERYbody, of course.
But you ain't dark complected, you know, nor--'

"'No,' says I, 'nor rank nor distinguished neither. Course the handsome
part might fit me, but I'd have to pass on the rest of the hand. That's
all right, Effie; my feelin's have got fire-proofed sence I've been
in the summer hotel business. Now you'd better run along and report to
Susannah. I hear her whoopin' for you, and she don't light like a canary
bird on the party she's mad with.'

"She didn't, that was a fact. Susannah Debs, who was housekeeper for us
that year, was middlin' young and middlin' good-lookin', and couldn't
forget it. Also and likewise, she had a suit for damages against the
railroad, which she had hopes would fetch her money some day or other,
and she couldn't forget that neither. She was skipper of all the hired
hands and, bein' as Effie was prettier than she was, never lost a chance
to lay the poor girl out. She put the other help up to pokin' fun at
Effie's green ways and high-toned notions, and 'twas her that started
'em callin' her 'Lady Evelyn' in the fo'castle--servants' quarters, I
mean.

"'I'm a-comin', 'screams Effie, startin' for the door. 'Susannah's in a
tearin' hurry to get through early to-day,' she adds to me. 'She's got
the afternoon off, and her beau's comin' to take her buggy ridin'.
He's from over Harniss way somewheres and they say he's just lovely. My
sakes! I wisht somebody'd take ME to ride. Ah hum! cal'late I'll have to
wait for my Butler man. Say, Mr. Wingate, you won't mention my fortune
to a soul, will you? I never told anybody but you.'

"I promised to keep mum and she cleared out. After dinner, as I was
smokin', along with Cap'n Jonadab, on the side piazza, a horse and
buggy drove in at the back gate. A young chap with black curly hair was
pilotin' the craft. He was a stranger to me, wore a checkerboard suit
and a bonfire necktie, and had his hat twisted over one ear. Altogether
he looked some like a sunflower goin' to seed.