I hev, ef I warn't safely merried 'fore she stepped out. I thought
that was ruther craoudin' a feller; but I see she was goan sure, an'
I'd got intew a way er considerin' the cash mine, so that it come
hard to hear abaout givin' on't up. Off I went that evenin' an'
asked Almiry Nash ef she'd hev me. No, she wouldn't; I'd
shilly-shallyed so long, she'd got tired er waitin' and took tew
keepin' company with a doctor daown tew Bang-gore, where she'd ben
visitin' a spell. I didn't find that as hard a rub to swaller, as
I'd a thought I would, though Almiry was the richest, pootiest, and
good-naterest of the lot. Aunt larfed waal, an' told me tew try
agin; so a couple er nights arfter, I spruced up, an' went over to
Car'line Miles's; she was as smart as old cheese, an' waal off intew
the barg'in. I was just as sure she'd hev me, as I be that I'm
gittin' the rewmatiz a settin' in this ma'sh. But that minx, Almiry,
hed ben and let on abaout her own sarsy way er servin' on me, an'
Car'line jest up an' said she warn't goan to hev annybuddy's
leavin's; so daown I come ag'in.

"Things was gettin' desper't by that time; for aunt was failin'
rapid, an' the story hed leaked aout some way, so the hull taown was
gigglin' over it. I thought I'd better quit them parts; but aunt she
showed me her will all done complete, 'sceptin' the fust name er the
legatee. 'There,' sez she, 'it all depends on yeou, whether that
place is took by Hiram or Josiah. It's easy done, an' so it's goan
tew stan' till the last minnit.' That riled me consid'able, an' I
streaked off tew May Jane Simlin's. She want very waal off, nor
extra harnsome, but she was pious the wust kind, an' dreadf'l clever
to them she fancied. But I was daown on my luck agin; fer at the
fust word I spoke of merryin', she showed me the door, an' give me
to understan' that she couldn't think er hevin' a man that warn't a