steward.

"Well, by the jumpin' fire!" he exclaimed, with conviction. "The feller
is sartinly possessed. He's lovesick, that's what's the matter with him.
All he can talk about is somebody's gettin' married. Are YOU cal'latin'
to get married, Isaiah?"

"Me? What kind of fool talk is that?"

"Who's the lucky woman?"

"There ain't no lucky woman. Don't talk so ridic'lous! All I said was
that when Mary-'Gusta was old and married and had--"

"There you go again! Married and children! Say, did it ever run acrost
your mind that you was a little mite previous?"

"I never said children. What I said was when she was old and had
grandchildren."

"Grandchildren! Well, that's a dum sight MORE previous. Let's have
breakfast, all hands, for the land sakes! Isaiah'll have us cruisin'
along with the third and fourth generation in a few minutes. I'M
satisfied with this one!"

That evening, at bedtime, as the partners separated in the upper hall to
go to their respective rooms, Zoeth said:

"Shadrach, this has been a mighty nice Christmas for us all, ain't it?"