t a wild and tumultuous youth behind her.

"'Pends on the man," she answered, shifting from one foot to the other,
and addressing herself to the home horses. "They abused me dreffle when
I was young. I guess I was sperrity an' nervous some, but they didn't
allow for that. 'Twas in Monroe County, Noo York, an' sence then till I
come here, I've run away with more men than 'u'd fill a boardin'-house.
Why, the man that sold me here he says to the boss, s' he: 'Mind, now,
I've warned you. 'Twon't be none of my fault if she sheds you daown the
road. Don't you drive her in a top-buggy, ner 'thout winkers,' s' he,
'ner 'thought this bit ef you look to come home behind her.' 'N' the
fust thing the boss did was to git the top-buggy.

"Can't say as I like top-buggies," said Rick; "they don't balance good."

"Suit me to a ha'ar," said Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. "Top-buggy means
the baby's in behind, an' I kin stop while she gathers the pretty
flowers--yes, an' pick a maouthful, too. The women-folk all say I hev to
be humoured, an' I don't kerry things to the sweatin'-point."

"'Course I've no prejudice against a top-buggy s' long's I can see it,"
Tedda went on quickly. "It's ha'f-seein' the pesky thing bobbin' an'
balancn' behind the winkers gits on my nerves. Then the boss looked at
the bit they'd sold with me, an' s' he: 'Jiminy Christmas! This 'u'd
make a clothes-horse Stan' 'n end!' Then he gave me a plain bar bit, an'
fitted it's if there was some feelin' to my maouth."

"Hain't ye got any, Miss Tedda?" said Tuck, who has a mouth like velvet,
and knows it.

"Might 'a' had, Miss Tuck, but I've forgot. Then he give me an open
bridle,--my style's an open bridle--an'--I dunno as I ought to tell this
by rights--he--give--me--a kiss."

"My!" said Tuck, "I can't tell fer the shoes o' me what makes some men
so fresh."

"Pshaw, sis," said Nip, "what's the sense in actin' so? You git a kiss
reg'lar's hitchin'-up time."

"Well, you needn't tell, smarty," said Tuck, with a squeal and a kick.

"I'd heard o' kisses, o' course," Tedda went on, "but they hadn't come
my way specially. I don't mind tellin' I was that took aback at that
man's doin's he might ha' lit fire-crackers on my saddle. Then we went
out jest's if a kiss was nothin', an' I wasn't three strides into my
gait 'fore I felt the boss knoo his business, an' was trustin' me. So I
studied to please him, an' he never took the whip from the dash--a whip
drives me plumb dis