On Picket Duty, and Other Tales | Page 9

the barg'in. I was just as sure she'd hev me, as I be that I'm gittin'
the rewmatiz a settin' in this ma'sh. But that minx, Almiry, hed ben and
let on abaout her own sarsy way er servin' on me, an' Car'line jest up an'
said she warn't goan to hev annybuddy's leavin's; so daown I come
ag'in.
"Things was gettin' desper't by that time; for aunt was failin' rapid, an'
the story hed leaked aout some way, so the hull taown was gigglin' over
it. I thought I'd better quit them parts; but aunt she showed me her will
all done complete, 'sceptin' the fust name er the legatee. 'There,' sez she,
'it all depends on yeou, whether that place is took by Hiram or Josiah.
It's easy done, an' so it's goan tew stan' till the last minnit.' That riled
me consid'able, an' I streaked off tew May Jane Simlin's. She want very
waal off, nor extra harnsome, but she was pious the wust kind, an'
dreadf'l clever to them she fancied. But I was daown on my luck agin;
fer at the fust word I spoke of merryin', she showed me the door, an'
give me to understan' that she couldn't think er hevin' a man that warn't
a church-member, that hadn't experienced religion, or even ben struck
with conviction, an' all the rest on't. Ef anny one hed a wanted tew hev
seen a walkin' hornet's nest, they could hev done it cheap that night, as I

went hum. I jest stramed intew the kitchen, chucked my hat intew one
corner, my coat intew 'nother, kicked the cat, cussed the fire, drawed up
a chair, and set scaoulin' like sixty, bein' tew mad for talkin'. The young
woman that was nussin' aunt,--Bewlah Blish, by name,--was a cookin'
grewel on the coals, and 'peared tew understan' the mess I was in; but
she didn't say nothin', only blowed up the fire, fetched me a mug er
cider, an' went raound so kinder quiet, and sympathizin', that I faound
the wrinkles in my temper gettin' smoothed aout 'mazin' quick; an' 'fore
long I made a clean breast er the hull thing. Bewlah larfed, but I didn't
mind her doin' on't, for she sez, sez she, real sort o' cunnin',--
"'Poor Hiram! they didn't use yeou waal. Yeou ought to hev tried some
er the poor an' humly girls; they'd a' been glad an' grateful fer such a
sweetheart as yeou be.'
"I was good-natered agin by that time, an' I sez, larfin' along with her,
'Waal I've got three mittens, but I guess I might's waal hev 'nother, and
that will make two pair complete. Say, Bewlah, will yeou hev me?'
"'Yes, I will,' sez she.
"'Reelly?' sez I.
"'Solemn trew,' sez she.
"Ef she'd up an' slapped me in the face, I shouldn't hev ben more
throwed aback, fer I never mistrusted she cared two chips for me. I jest
set an' gawped; fer she was solemn trew, I see that with half an eye, an'
it kinder took my breath away. Bewlah drawed the grewel off the fire,
wiped her hands, an' stood lookin' at me a minnet, then she sez, slow
an' quiet, but tremblin' a little, as women hev a way er doin', when
they've consid'able steam aboard,--
"'Hiram, other folks think lumberin' has spilt yeou; I don't; they call
yeou rough an' rewd; I know you've got a real kind heart fer them as
knows haow tew find it. Them girls give yeou up so easy, 'cause they
never loved yeou, an' yeou give them up 'cause yeou only thought
abaout their looks an' money. I'm humly, an' I'm poor; but I've loved

yeou ever sence we went a-nuttin' years ago, an' yeou shook daown fer
me, kerried my bag, and kissed me tew the gate, when all the others
shunned me, 'cause my father drank an' I was shably dressed, ugly, an'
shy. Yeou asked me in sport, I answered in airnest; but I don't expect
nothin' unless yeou mean as I mean. Like me, Hiram, or leave me, it
won't make no odds in my lovin' er yeou, nor helpin' er yeou, ef I kin.'
"'Tain't easy tew say haouw I felt, while she was goin' on that way; but
my idees was tumblin' raound inside er me, as ef half a dozen dams was
broke loose all tew oncet. One thing was ruther stiddier 'n the rest, an'
that was that I liked Bewlah morn'n I knew. I begun tew see what kep
me loopin' tew hum so much, sence aunt was took daown; why I want
in no hurry tew git them other gals, an' haow I come tew pocket my
mittens so easy arfter the fust rile was over.