and stood by the counter upwards of an hour before I could persuade
her to be easy in her mind about letting Bob take that frizzling over
to Providence to a ice-cream festibul Mis' Mayberry was a-having for
the church carpet benefit last night. After I told her I would put up
early, and me and her could jog over in my buggy along behind them
flippets to see no foolishness were being carried on, she took it more
easy, and it looked like onct and a while on the road she most come
to the point of enjoying her own self. But I reckon I'm just fooling
myself by thinking that though," and Mr. Crabtree eyed the Senator
with pathetic eagerness to be assured that he was not self-deceived at
this slight advance up the steep ascent of his road of true love.

"Not a bit of doubt in my mind she enjoyed it greatly, suh, greatly,
and I consider the cause of diverting her grief has advanced a hundred
per cent by her consenting to go at all. Did any of the other
Sweetbriar friends avail themselves of the Providence invitation--Miss
Rose Mary and er--any of the other young people?"

"No, Miss Rose Mary didn't want to go, though Mr. Rucker woulder liked
to hitch up the wagon and take her and Mis' Rucker and the children.
She have been mighty quiet like sinct Mr. Everett left us, though
she'd never let anybody lack the heartening of that smile of hern no
matter how tetched with lonesome she was herself. When the letters
come I just can't wait to finish sorting the rest, but I run with
hers to her, like Sniffie brings sticks back to Stonie Jackson when he
throws them in the bushes."

"Ahm--er--do they come often?" asked the Senator in a casual voice,
but his eyes narrowed in their slits and the veil became impenetrable.