Part 45 (1/2)

”Is dat so? Well, well! Maajo' Gyarnit! You used to cook faw him in camp di'n' you? How much good sense he got, tubbe sho'!” A mixture of roguishness spoiled the pretence of wonder.

”Good sense? Law'! 'twant good sense in Gyarnit nuther. It was jess my pow' ove' him! my stra-ange, masmaric poweh! You know, the arrangements is jess this! Gyarnit got th'ee hund'ed sheers, I got fawty; yit I the poweh behime the th'one. Johnnie, he on'y sec'ta'y an' 'ithout a salary as yit, though him an' his maw got--oh! I dunno--but enough so he kin sell it faw all his daddy could 'a' sole the whole track faw--that is, perwidin' he kin fine a buyeh. Champion, Shotwell, the Graveses--all that crowd, they jess on'y the flies 'roun' the jug; bymeby they find theyse'ves onto the fly-papeh.” The pair laughed again, and----

”Oh! escuse me!”

”My acci_dent_, seh. Mr. Leggett, hocc.u.m you got all dat poweh?”

”Ah!” said the smiling gallant, ”you wants to know the secret o' my poweh, do you? Well, that interjuce the ezacly question I'm jess a-honin' to a.s.s you. You a.s.s me the secret o' my poweh. Don't you know tha.s.s the ve'y thing what Delijah a.s.s Saampson?”

”Ya.s.s, seh. I knows. Da.s.s in de Bible, ain't it?”

”It is. It in the sacred scripters, which I hope that, like myseff, fum a chile thou ha.s.s known them, ain't you? Ya.s.s, well, tha.s.s right. I loves to see a young lady pious. I'm pious myseff. Ef I wan't a legislater _I'd_ be a preacher. Now, you a.s.s me the same riddle what Delijah a.s.s Saampson. An' you know how he anseh her? He a.s.sed a riddle to her. An' likewise this my sweet riddle to you: Is I the Saampson o'

yo' hope an' dream an' will you be my Deli----Aw! now, don't whisk away like that an' gag yo'seff with yo' handkercher! I's a lawful widoweh, dearess.”

The maiden quenched her mirth and put on great dignity. ”Mr. Leggett, will you please to teck yo' ahm fum roun' my wais'?” She glanced back with much whiteness of eyes. ”Teck it off, seh; I ain't aansw'ed you yit.”

The arm fell away, but his whispering lips came close. ”Ain't I yo'

Saampson, dearess o' the dear? Ain't you the Delijah o' my haht? Answeh me, my julepina, an' O, I'll reply you the secret o' my poweh aw any otheh question in the wide, wide worl'!”

”Mr. Leggett, ef you crowds me any wuss on dis-yeh buggy seat I--I'll give you--I'll give you a unfavo'able answeh! Mr. Leggett”--she sn.i.g.g.e.red--”you don't gimme no chaynce to think o' no objections even ef I had any! Will you please to keep yo' foot where yo' foot belong, seh?

Mr. Leggett----”

”What is it, my sweet spirit o' nightshade?”

”Mr. Leggett”--the eyes sparkled with banter--”I'll tell you ef you'll fus' aansweh _me_ a riddle; will you? 'Caze ef you don't I won't tell you. Will you?”

”Lawd! I'll try! On'y a.s.s it quick befo' my haht bus' wide opm. a.s.s it quick!”

”Well, you know, I cayn't a.s.s it so scan'lous quick, else I run de dangeh o' gettin' it wrong. Now, dis is it: When is--hol' on, lemme see--ya.s.s, da.s.s it. When is two--aw! pshaw! you make me laaugh so I can't ax it at all! When is two raace hawses less'n one?”

”Aw, sheh! I kin ans' that in five minutes! I kin ans' it in one minute!

I kin ans' it now! Two hosses is--”

”Hol' on! I said raace hawses! Two raace hawses, I said, seh!”

”Well, da.s.s all right, race hosses! Two race hosses less'n one when they reti-ud into the omlibus business.”

”No, seh! no seh!” The maiden cackled till the forest answered back.

”No, _seh_! two raace hawses less'n one when each one on'y jess abreas'

o' the otheh!”

--”'Breas' o'--aw pshaw! you tuck the words right out'n my mouth! I seed the answeh to it fum the fus; I made a wrong espunction the fus time on'y jess faw a joke! Now, you ans' my question, dearess.”

But the dearest had become grave and stately. ”Mr. Leggett, befo' I comes to dat finality, I owes it to myseff an' likewise to my pa'ents to git yo' respondence to, anyhow, one question, an' ef you de man o' poweh you say you is, y' ought to be highly fitt'n' to give de correc' reply.”

”Espoun' your question, miss! Espoun' yo' question!”