"And when she hove plates at your head, wot did you do?"

"She didn't hove no plates," said Abner gravely; "did she say she did?"

"No, no!" returned Byers hastily, in crimson confusion. "I kinder got
it mixed with suthin' else." He waved his hand in a lordly way, as if
dismissing the subject. "Howsumever, you and her is 'off' anyway," he
added with badly concealed anxiety.

"I reckon: there's the decree," returned Abner, with his usual resigned
acceptance of the fact.

"Mrs. Byers wuz allowin' ye wuz thinkin' of a second. How's that comin'
on?"

"Jest whar it was," returned Abner. "I ain't doin' anything yet. Ye see
I've got to tell the gal, naterally, that I'm di-vorced. And as that
isn't known hereabouts, I don't keer to do so till I'm pretty certain.
And then, in course, I've got to."

"Why hev ye 'got to'?" asked Byers abruptly.

"Because it wouldn't be on the square with the girl," said Abner. "How
would you like it if Mrs. Byers had never told you she'd been married to
me? And s'pose you'd happen to hev bin a di-vorced man and hadn't told
her, eh? Well," he continued, sinking back resignedly against the tree,
"I ain't sayin' anythin' but she'd hev got another di-vorce, and FROM
you on the spot--you bet!"

"Well! all I kin say is," said Mr. Byers, lifting his voice excitedly,