"But it was you that insisted on the rheumatism. By the way, did
you ask her about it?"

"We didn't get that far," he parried.

"Oh! How far did you get?" She perched herself on the porch
railing and mocked him with her friendly eyes. Her heart was
light within her and she was ready for anything in the way of
fun, for the doctor had just pronounced her patient out of danger
if he took proper care of himself.

"About as fur as I got with y'u, ma'am," he audaciously retorted.

"We might disagree as to how far that is," she flung back gayly
with heightened color.

"No, ma'am, I don't think we would."

"But, gracious! You're not a Mormon. You don't want us both, do
you?" she demanded, her eyes sparkling with the exhilaration of
the tilt.

"Could I get either one of y'u, do y'u reckon? That's what's
worrying me."

"I see, and so you intend to keep us both on the string."

His joyous laughter echoed hers. "I expaict y'u would call that
presumption or some other dictionary word, wouldn't y'u?"