“Yes, she'll be in right away. Say, Paul”--Amanda caught his lapel and held on to it--“is thar anything between you an'--I mean--it ain't none o' my business, but it seems to me like Ethel is just the sort o' girl that you would naturally take to, an'--” Paul detached himself from her clinging hold, and essayed a faint smile, while his blood beat furiously in his face. “You mustn't think of such things,” he faltered, in a feeble effort to appear unconcerned. “She and I are good friends, that is all. You see, she is to inherit something from her uncle, and he has set his heart on her marrying a rich young man in Atlanta--a fellow that is all right, too, in every way. She knew him before she knew me, and--well, I am not a marrying man, anyway. I really don't think I ever shall marry. Some men have to stay single, you know.” Amanda recaptured his lapels, and faced him with a warm stare of tenderness. “Paul, if I thought that us three old sticks-in-the-mud was standin' between you an' that purty, sweet girl--young as you are, with life spreadin' out before you like it is--after all your troubles, I--well, I couldn't let you--I just _couldn't!_” “How silly of you to think of such a thing!” he laughed, freely. “This opportunity to help you all, slight as it is, will be the very making of me.” “It's certainly makin' a man of Jeff,” Amanda smiled, through glad tears. “He's plumb different from what he used to be. He talks about you like you was a royal prince. He says he is acceptin' this help only as a loan, an' that he'll pay it back 'fore he dies or break a trace. He rises at daybreak, an' works like a steam-engine till after dark. He's quit singin'--says he's goin' to sell the organ. He's gittin' his health an' strength back, an' holds his head higher. A funny thing happened yesterday. You'd 'a' laughed if you'd been here. He's been talkin' powerful about some'n he heard you say in regard to controllin' the temper an' not hatin' folks, an' he hammers on it constantly. He says his temper has always held 'im down, an' that you naturally would have more respect for 'im if he'd control it. Me an' him happened to be stand-in' at the gate talkin' on that very subject, when we seed Jim Hoag ridin' along toward us. Now, Jeff hadn't met Hoag face to face since we got back, an' knowin' how quick on trigger Jeff was, an' how high an' mighty Hoag holds hisse'f with common folks, I was afraid the two might hitch right then an' thar. I knowed Jeff wouldn't avoid 'im and I was sure Hoag would make 'im mad if he had half a chance, an' so to avoid trouble I said to Jeff: 'Jeff,' said I, 'now is the time for you to practise some o' your preachin'. Meet Jim Hoag like you don't want no more trouble, an' all will be well betwixt you both in future.' I reminded 'im that it was railly his duty, seein' that you git your livin' out o' Hoag an' we was so much benefited.” “And so they made friends,” Paul said, eagerly. “I was afraid the old score would revive again.”