her; she knowed my ways, was a fust rate housekeeper, real
good-tempered, and pious without flingin' on't in yer face. She was
a lonely creeter,--her folks bein' all dead but one sister, who
didn't use her waal, an' somehow I kinder yearned over her, as they
say in Scripter. For all I set an' gawped, I was coming raound fast,
though I felt as I used tew, when I was goin' to shoot the rapids,
kinder breathless an' oncertin, whether Id come aout right side up
or not. Queer, warn't it?"

"Love, Flint; that was a sure symptom of it."

"Waal, guess 'twas; anyway I jumped up all er a sudden, ketched
Bewlah raound the neck, give her a hearty kiss, and sung aout, 'I'll
dew it sure's my name's Hi Flint!' The words was scurcely aout er my
maouth, 'fore daown come Dr. Parr. He'd ben up tew see aunt, an'
said she wouldn't last the night threw, prob'ly. That give me a
scarer the wust kind; an' when I told doctor haow things was, he
sez, kinder jokin',--

"'Better git merried right away, then. Parson Dill is tew come an'
see the old lady, an' he'll dew both jobs tew oncet.'

"'Will yeou, Bewlah?' sez I.

"'Yes, Hiram, to 'blige yeou,' sez she.

"With that, I put it fer the parson and the license; got 'em both,
an' was back in less'n half an haour, most tuckered aout with the
flurry er the hull concern. Quick as I'd been, Bewlah hed faound
time tew whip on her best gaoun, fix up her hair, and put a couple