out he was a widower beginnin' to take notice. His cart used
to stand at her door so long everybody on the rout would complain o'
stale bread. But bime bye Fiddy begun to set at her winder when
he druv up, 'n' bime bye she pinned a blue ribbon in her collar.
When she done that, Mis' Maddox alles hed to take a back seat.
The boys used to call it a danger signal. It kind o' drawed yer
'tention to p'ints 'bout her chin 'n' mouth 'n' neck, 'n' one thing
'n' 'nother, in a way that was cal'lated to snarl up the thoughts o'
perfessors o' religion 'n' turn 'em earthways. There was a spell
I hed to say, '_Remember_ _Rhapseny!_ _Remember_ _Rhapseny!_'
over to myself whenever Fiddy put on her blue ribbons. Wall, as I say,
Fiddy set at the winder, the baker-man seen the blue ribbons,
'n' Mis' Maddox's cake was dough. She put on a red ribbon;
but land! her neck looked 's if somebody 'd gone over it with a harrer!
Then she stomped round 'n' slat the dish-rag, but 't wa'n't no use.
'Gracious, mother,' says Fiddy, 'I don't do nothin' but set at
the winder. The sun shines for all.' 'You're right it does,'
says Mis' Maddox, ''n' that's jest what I complain of.
I'd like to get a change to shine on something myself.'

"But the baker-man kep' on comin', though when he got
to the Maddoxes' doorsteps he couldn't make change for a
quarter nor tell pie from bread; an' sure 's you're born,
the very day Fiddy went away to be married to Dixie, that mornin'
she drawed that everlastin' numhead of a flour-food peddler
out into the orchard, 'n' cut off a lock o' her hair,
'n' tied it up with a piece o' her blue ribbon, 'n' give it
to him; an' old Mis' Bascom says, when he went past her house
he was gazin' at it 'n' kissin' of it, 'n' his horse meanderin'
on one side the road 'n' the other, 'n' the door o' the cart