"You're lookin' white an' all beat to a frazzle," he was saying.
"Why don't you cut the work? You got to some time, anyway. You
can't lose me, kid."

"I wish I could," she replied.

He laughed with harsh joviality. "Nothin' to it, Saxon. You're
just cut out to be Mrs. Long, an' you're sure goin' to be."

"I wish I was as certain about all things as you are," she said
with mild sarcasm that missed.

"Take it from me," he went on, "there's just one thing you can be
certain of--an' that is that I am certain." He was pleased with
the cleverness of his idea and laughed approvingly. "When I go
after anything I get it, an' if anything gets in between it gets
hurt. D'ye get that? It's me for you, an' that's all there is to
it, so you might as well make up your mind and go to workin' in
my home instead of the laundry. Why, it's a snap. There wouldn't
be much to do. I make good money, an' you wouldn't want for
anything. You know, I just washed up from work an' skinned over
here to tell it to you once more, so you wouldn't forget. I ain't
ate yet, an' that shows how much I think of you."

"You'd better go and eat then," she advised, though she knew the
futility of attempting to get rid of him.

She scarcely heard what he said. It had come upon her suddenly
that she was very tired and very small and very weak alongside
this colossus of a man. Would he dog her always? she asked