, do you, just 'cause his name's Butler? There's ten thousand Butlers
in the world. Besides, your particular one was slated to be high ranked
and distinguished, and this specimen scrubs up the billiard-room floor
and ain't no more distinguished than a poorhouse pig.'

"'Ain't?' she sings out. 'Ain't distinguished? With all them beautiful
curls, and rings on his fingers, and--'

"'Bells on his toes? No!' says I, emphatic. 'Anyhow, he's signed for
the v'yage already. He's Susannah Debs's steady, and they're off buggy
ridin' together right now. And if she catches you makin' eyes at her
best feller--Whew!'

"Didn't make no difference. He was her Butler, sure. 'Twas Fate--that's
what 'twas--Fate, just the same as in storybooks. She was sorry for poor
Susannah and she wouldn't do nothin' mean nor underhanded; but couldn't
I understand that 'twas all planned out for her by Providence and that
everlastin' Seer? Just let me watch and see, that's all.

"What can you do with an idiot like that? I walked off disgusted and
left her. But I cal'lated to watch. I judged 'twould be more fun than
any 'play-actin' show ever I took in.

"And 'twas, in a way. Don't ask me how they got acquainted, 'cause I
can't tell you for sartin. Nigh's I can learn, Susannah and Sim had some
sort of lover's row durin' their buggy ride, and when they got back to
the hotel they was scurcely on speakin' terms. And Sim, who always had a
watch out for'ard for pretty girls, see Effie standin' on the servants'
porch all togged up regardless and gay as a tea-store chromo, and
nothin' to do but he must be introduced. One of the stable hands done
the introducin', I b'lieve, and if he'd have been hung afterwards
'twould have sarved him right.

"Anyhow, inside of a week Butler come round again to take a lady friend
drivin', but this time 'twas Effie, not the housekeeper, that was
passenger. And Susannah glared after 'em like a cat after a sparrow,
and the very next day she was for havin' Effie discharged for
incompetentiveness. I give Jonadab the tip, though, so that didn't go
through. But I cal'late there was a parrot and monkey time among the
help from then on.

"They all sided with Susannah, of course. She was their boss, for one
thing, and 'Lady Evelyn's' high-minded notions wa'n't popular, for
another. But Effie didn't care--bless you, no! She and that Butler sport
was together more and more, and the next thing I heard was that they was
engaged. I snum,