ride.

Them two young fellers love to be together. They are both as smart as
whips--the very keenest, snappiest kind of whips.

Wall, I laid out to git a good dinner, that wuz my calm intention; and I
sent out Josiah Allen to ketch two plump pullets, I a-layin' out to
stuff 'em with the particular kind of dressin' that Thomas J. is partial
to. It is a good dressin'.

And then I wuz a-layin' out to have some nice mashed-up potatoes, some
early sweet peas, some lemon puddin', besides some coffee, jest as
Thomas J. likes it--rich, golden coffee, with plenty of cream in it; and
then besides I wuz goin' to have one or two vegetables that Josiah
liked, and some jellys, etc., that Krit wuz particular fond of. Oh, I
wuz goin' to have a good dinner, there hain't a doubt of that! Oh, and
I wuz goin' to have some delicious soup too, to start off the dinner
with! I got the receipt of Job Pressley's wife and improved on it,
(though I wouldn't want her to know I said it, she is jealous
dispositioned.) But I did.

Wall, if you'll believe it, jest as I wuz a-finishin' my dressin',
addin' the last ingregient to it, and my mind wuz all on a strain to
have it jest right--

All of a sudden Josiah Allen rushed in all out of breath, and hollered
to me for a rope.

"A rope?" sez I, bein' took aback.