"Well, by this time I was a youngish man; and in my day, the young folks had a sort of a frolic every night. I used to go,--and sometimes went home with one _gal_, sometimes with another,--but never thought of Debby. Well, there was a Mr. ---- came to see her, but she wouldn't have nothing to say to him; and after that, one came from the Shoals--a rich man's son; his father gave him a complete new vessel, and every thing to load her; but Debby wouldn't have nothing to do with him _nother_. _Then I wasn't worth so much as this stick!_--Well, I wondered, and so I says to mother, 'Mother, what's the reason Debby wont take this man?--she'll never better herself!'--'Don't you know, John?' says mother. 'No.' So I says to Debby--'Why don't you have him, Debby?' 'Because,' says Debby, says she, 'if I can't have the one I want, I wont have nobody!'" "Well, I thought nothing,--but went on, frolicking here, and frolicking there, till one night as I was going home, just towards day, with one of my mates, says I, 'Tom,' says I, 'I wont go to another frolic these two months! If I do, I'll give you a dollar!'--'You?' says he--'you'll go afore two nights!' 'Well, you'll see,' says I.--Well, I stayed at home _steady_; and after a while says father, says he to mother, 'Suzy,' says he, (for that was the way he always spoke to her--) 'Suzy,' says he, 'I guess John has got tired of raking about so,--and I'm glad of it.' 'I hope he has,' says mother." "Well, one day we were all sitting at table,--mother _sot_ there,--and father _sot there_,--and the hired man next him,--(for we had a hired man, and hired _gal_,) and Debby was next to mother, and the _gal_ next, and I between the hired man and hired _gal_. Well, mother was joking the hired man and _gal_,--(she was a great hand to joke,) and I cast an eye at Debby, and I thought, 'I never see any body alter as you have, Debby!'--She looked handsome!--Well, Debby was weaving up stairs; and I was mowing down by the well, close by the house; and I felt kind of uneasy, and made an excuse to go in for a drink of water. Well, I went in;--and I went up stairs, and into tother chamber--not the one where Debby was weaving,--(for I was kind of bashful, you see,--) and then I went in where Debby was--but said nothing,--for I had never laid the weight of my finger on the _gal_ in my life. At last, 'Debby,' says I, 'what sort of a weaver are you, Debby?' 'O, I guess I can get off as many yards as any body,' says she; 'and I want to get my web out, to go up on the hill to sister's, this afternoon.' 'Well,' says I, 'tell her to have something nice, for I shall be up there.' 'We shan't see you there, I guess,' says Debby. 'You will though,' says I; 'see if you don't!' Father had a great pasture on the hill,--a kind of farm like, (for my father was a rich man!--) so just afore night up I goes, and they had every thing in order. So a while