“That wouldn’t do no good,” she remarked presently. “They’d jes’ take tharselves ter watchin’ somewhar else.” After a moment she added bitterly, “Ye know how sech men be: gin ’em a notion arter blood, an’ it’s no mo’ use ter call ’em off ’n ’tis ter blow yer horn fur a hound ez air followin’ on a hot scent. Thar’s some hound an’ some painter an’ some fox in sech men,” the soft-faced young cynic declared. “Yes-sum,” faltered Clem Sanders. He sat dumfounded for a moment, the significance of her troubled mien gradually dawning on his slow perceptions. “Laws-a-massy, Marcelly,” he cried, “ef ye want me ter, I’ll jes’ let them men work in my forge ez a constancy, scot-free. I won’t gredge ’em nuthin’, though they bruk up every tool in my shop, an’”—his face clouded—“mended ’em arterward. I will say I never see sech work,—the man oughter be ’shamed! I dunno whar in Kingdom Come he could hev larnt his trade,—sech larnin’ ez he hev got. But I’ll take Jake Baintree an’ that strange man, ef he war the devil, inter partnership, ef ’twill please you-uns. That’s all I live fur, Marcelly,—ter please you-uns. Ef ye will marry me,” he continued, leaning nearer to her,—“ef ye’ll marry me”— “Oh,” exclaimed the girl, with a gesture of impatient repudiation, “Ye air so tormentin’ tiresome.” “Yes-sum,” said Clem, drawing back, rebuked, but not alienated. “Would enny other mortal on the yearth ’low I’d marry a man so ez ter git his cornsent fur two other idle idjits ter hev the run of his forge?” Clem thought that it would be better for all concerned if the “other idjits” were idle, but he only murmured, “Naw’m,” and listened with respectful and earnest attention as she went on. “I ain’t got no wish ’bout’n ’em, ’ceptin’ I don’t want ’em kilt nor hurted no ways,—jes’ fur thar sake, not mine; jes’ kase they air folks, an’ hev got a right ter live till thar Maker calls ’em. Takes a man ter expec’ ter git suthin’ fur hisself ter pay him fur every leetle favior he does fur other folks.” She was fast becoming pessimistic under the stress of her fears, and her perplexities, and her consequent anxious irritation. “Yes-sum,” said Clem in humble concession. Then plucking up, “I jes’ mean ter say, Marcelly, ez I would do ennything ter pleasure you-uns, an’ ef ye want them men ter work in my forge, they kin do it an’ welcome!”