Sez he, "Miss Smith, of course you hain't known me long, but I feel that we are well acquainted. I have watched you when you hain't known it." I could imagine just how wonderingly the soft gentle eyes wuz raised to his as he went on: "Yes, I have kep' my eye on you, and I will say right out that I like your looks and your ways, and I feel that you are worthy of being promoted to the high honor I am about to heap onto you, by askin' you to be my wife." I heard a little low, skairt ejaculation and a chair pushed back. "Your wife! oh no, no, you are mistaken!" Then his voice in soothin' axents, "There, set down agin, set down. I knew you'd take it so. I knew it would overcome you, but I say you are worthy on't, and you needn't never be afraid I'll throw it in your face that I am rich and you--and you----" Then I hearn a swish of a dress float along, quick steps acrost the piazza, a door shet, and anon Mr. Pomper come back to me. "Jest as I told you, mom, stunted," sez he, "fairly stunted and broke down by the suddenness of the good news. I'll give her time to git used to the idee. I won't say no more at present." "No," sez I dryly, "I wouldn't if I wuz in your place, I'd go and rub some ile into my head or sweat it, or sunthin'." "What for?" sez he in surprise, "why should I bathe my head, or annoint it?" "Oh nothin'," sez I, "if you don't think it needs softenin' up and illuminatin'." Well, I went up to my room and in a few minutes Faith come in, and she went right by me and looked in the glass. She wuz pale and seemed to be kinder tremblin'. She studied her face intently in the lookin' glass, then sez she, "What is there in my face, what have I done?" sez she, "How have I looked, that that awful man dare insult me? Oh, I must have looked weak or acted weak, or he wouldn't have dared to!" and she busted out cryin'. And I sez soothin'ly, "It hain't the worst thing that could happen to you. A offer of marriage hain't like a attack of yeller fever, or cholera, or even the janders, nor," sez I, "it hain't like losin' friends, or a plague of grasshoppers, or----" And I spoze there hain't no tellin' onto what hites of eloquence I might have riz to cheer her up. But all of a sudden she bust out a-laughin' with the tears standin' in her big eyes and runnin' down her cheeks. "There," sez I, "you see I'm right, don't you?"