"Well now, Angy," said Tom, "if you averaged up husbands in these parts I
guess you'd find you were faring rather better than most women folks. I let
you take the bit in your teeth and go your own jog mostly. Now, own up, don't
I?"

"That wasn't my meaning, exactly, Tom," resumed Holcroft. "You and I could
well afford to let our wives take their own jog, for they always jogged steady
and faithful and didn't need any urging and guiding. But even a dumb critter
likes a good word now and then and a little patting on the back. It doesn't
cost us anything and does them a sight of good. But we kind of let the
chances slip by and forget about it until like enough it's too late."

"Well," replied Tom, with a deprecatory look at his wife, "Angy don't take to
pettin' very much. She thinks it's a kind of foolishness for such middle-aged
people as we're getting to be."

"A husband can show his consideration without blarneying," remarked Mrs.
Watterly coldly. "When a man takes on in that way, you may be sure he wants
something extra to pay for it."

After a little thought Holcroft said, "I guess it's a good way to pay for it
between husband and wife."

"Look here, Jim, since you're so well up on the matrimonial question, why in
thunder don't you marry again? That would settle all your difficulties," and
Tom looked at his friend with a sort of wonder that he should hesitate to take
this practical, sensible course.

"It's very easy for you to say, 'Why don't you marry again?' If you were in
my place you'd see that there are things in the way of marrying for the sake