used to work there pretty often, and sometimes I'd come over and yarn
with him. One day I was sitting on the end of the bench, and the old
man was working away, and Mary was standing there too, all three of
us yarning--she mostly came poking round where I was if I happened to
be on the premises--or at least I thought so--and we got yarning about
getting married, and the old cove said he'd get married again if the
old woman died.

"'_You_ get married again!' said Mary. 'Why, father,
you wouldn't get anyone to marry you--who'd have you?'

"'Well,' he said, 'I bet I'll get someone sooner than you, anyway.
You don't seem to be able to get anyone, and it's pretty near time you
thought of settlin' down and gettin' married. I wish _someone_
would have you.'

"He hit her pretty hard there, but it served her right. She got as
good as she gave. She looked at me and went all colours, and then she
went back to her washtub.

"She was mighty quiet at tea-time--she seemed hurt a lot, and I
began to feel sorry I'd laughed at the old man's joke, for she was
really a good, hard-working girl, and you couldn't help liking her.

"So after tea I went out to her in the kitchen, where she was washing
up, to try and cheer her up a bit. She'd scarcely speak at first,
except to say 'Yes' or 'No', and kept her face turned away from me;
and I could see that she'd been crying. I began to feel sorry for her
and mad at the old man, and I started to comfort her. But I didn't go
the right way to work about it. I told her that she mustn't take any