"A snug little property wouldn't a ben bad, I reckon. Well she had
it, old skin-flint, though I didn't know or care about it then. What
a jolly row she'd make if she knew I was tellin' the ladder part of
the story! She always does when I get to it, and makes believe cry,
with her head in my breast-pocket, or any such handy place, till I
take it out and swear I'll never do so ag'in. Poor little Kit, I
wonder what she's doin' now. Thinkin' of me, I'll bet."

Dick paused, pitched his cap lower over his eyes, and smoked a
minute with more energy than enjoyment, for his cigar was out and he
did not perceive it.

"That's not all, is it?" asked Thorn, taking a fatherly interest in
the younger man's love passages.

"Not quite. 'Fore long, Joe whistled, and as I always take short
cuts everywhar, I put in at the back-door, jest as Kitty come
trottin' out of the pantry with a big berry-pie in her hand. I
startled her, she tripped over the sill and down she come; the dish
flew one way, the pie flopped into her lap, the juice spatterin' my
boots and her clean gown. I thought she'd cry, scold, have
hysterics, or some confounded thing or other; but she jest sat still
a minute, then looked up at me with a great blue splosh on her face,
and went off into the good-naturedest gale of laughin' you ever
heard in your life. That finished me. 'Gay,' thinks I; 'go in and
win.' So I, did; made love hand over hand, while I stayed with Joe;
pupposed a fortnight after, married her in three months, and there
she is, a tip-top little woman, with a pair of stunnin' boys in her
arms!"