"No, they have strong brains instead," I answered icily.

"Said brains subject to colic, though," he mused in an impudent
undertone.

I laughed: I couldn't help it. One of the dangerous things about Polk is
that he gets you comfortable and warm of heart whenever he gets near
you. It wouldn't matter at all to him if you should freeze later for
lack of his warmth, just so he doesn't know about it.

"Polk," I began to say in a lovely serious tone of voice, looking him
square in the eyes and determined that as we were now on the subject of
basic things, like infantile colic, I would have it out with him along
all lines, "there is an awful shock coming to you when you realize
that--"

"That in the heat of this erudite and revolutionary discussion, which an
evil fate led me to drop in on, I have forgotten to give you this
telegram that came for you while I was down at the station shipping some
lumber. Be as easy as you can with me, Evelina, and remember that I am
your childhood's companion when you decide between us." With which he
handed me a blue telegram.

I opened it hastily and found that it was from Richard:

Am coming down to Bolivar with C. & G. Commission. Be deciding
about what I wrote you. Must.

RICHARD.