"I'm thinking, aunty, it's high time you and me packed up our traps and
'shook' this yar shanty, and located somewhere else." Jeff's voice was
ostentatiously cheerful, but his eyes were a little anxious.

"What for NOW?"

Jeff hastily recounted his ill luck, and the various reasons--excepting
of course the dominant one--for his resolution.

"And when do you kalkilate to go?"

"If you'll look arter things here," hesitated Jeff, "I reckon I'll go up
along with Bill to-morrow, and look round a bit."

"And how long do you reckon that gal would stay here after yar gone?"

This was a new and startling idea to Jeff. But in his humility he saw
nothing in it to flatter his conceit. Rather the reverse. He colored,
and then said apologetically,--

"I thought that you and Jinny could get along without me. The butcher
will pack the provisions over from the Fork."

Laying down her rolling-pin, Aunt Sally turned upon Jeff with
ostentatious deliberation. "Ye ain't," she began slowly, "ez taking a
man with wimmen ez your father was--that's a fact, Jeff Briggs! They
used to say that no woman as he went for could get away from him. But
ye don't mean to say yer think yer not good enough--such as ye are--for
this snip of an old maid, ez big as a gold dollar, and as yaller?"