Mighty! but you look
improved."
He gasped again and smiled through his bushy beard.
"Thank you," said I, icily, waving him toward a chair.
Josiah sat down and smiled again.
"It just does me good to see you," he said, having completely recovered
his power of speech. "I should have come down last night, Mark. I
'pologize for not doin' it, but it's mighty troublesome gittin' 'round
in the dark. The last time I tried it, I caught the end of my stick
between two rocks and it broke. There I was, left settin' on the Red
Hill with no way of gittin' home. I was in for comin' down here to
receive you--really I was--but my missus says she ain't a-goin' to have
me rovin' 'round the country that 'ay agin. 'Gimme an extry oar,' I
says. And she says: 'Does you 'spose I'll let you run 'round lookin'
like a load of wood?' And I says----"
The gate latch clicked. Again Tim appeared from the maze of corn and
stood shading his eyes and gazing toward the house. Now the footfalls
were light. And Mary came! But how could I look careless and dashing,
with Josiah Nummler in the chair I had fixed so close to mine? Rising,
I bowed as awkwardly as possible.
Pages:
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59