"Not lovin' you. Have you got any postal-kyard or tillygram to that effeck? I ain't sent you no sich news. Look here, did you ever notice that when a woman's daughter gits up about grown--when the young fellers begin to cut scollops about her--did you ever notice that about that time she begins to complain that her husband don't love her? Hah? Did you?" "Oh, it's no sich of a thing," she replied, slowly rocking. "You know you don't love me as much as you did yo' fust wife." For a time the old fellow gazed at her, saying nothing; and then came slow, deep-rumbling words: "Margaret, air you jealous o' that po' little grave down yander under the hill? You never seed her, the mother o' my two sons that went with me to pour out their blood fur their country; and when she hearn that they wan't a comin' back, she pined away and died and was buried under the tree whar we seed her standin' jest befo' we went down beyant the hill. You ain't jealous o' that weak little woman, air you?" Slowly rocking, and reflecting for a few moments, she replied: "Jasper, it's the weak little women that air so strong with the men." "Yes," he declared, "and it's the weak little women that have sons that air so ready to march to the tap of the drum. But I give you and our daughter all the love thar is in this old heart o' mine, and that ought to be enough." "But you don't appear to want to talk to me," she whimpered. "Talkin' to you now, ain't I?" "Yes," she admitted, "sich talk as it is." "Well, what do you want me to do? Stand like that young feller Elliott and read stuff writ in short lines?" Margaret flounced out of the chair. "Oh, I never seed a man that could be as big a fool when he tried. I do know that--" Here she was interrupted by the unheralded entrance of Mose Blake, the stuttering boy with the tea-cup. He nodded at Starbuck and began to stutter. "Mother sent me atter--atter a c--c--c--cup o' v--v--v--" "How's all the folks, Mose?" Margaret broke in. "W--w--w--w--w--" "Glad to know it," said Starbuck. Mose looked at him with a dry grin, sat down in the rocking-chair and began to rock himself. "What did yo' mother send you after, Mose?" Margaret inquired. "Cup o' v--v--v--v--v--" "Can't you write it down?" Jasper inquired. "Kik--kik--kik--ki--kan'--can't write." "Don't you think you mout go off somewhar an' l'arn?" "Ain't got--got tity--tity--t----t--time." "Wall," said Jasper, "it appears to me like you've got all the time thar is. Wall. All right, jest set thar till it comes to you and then let us know what you want." He went over to a table where his wife was standing, drew out a stool, sat down and said to her: "So, you think I can be a bigger fool when I try than--" "Hush," she cautioned, pointing to Mose, "he's a hearin' you." Starbuck slowly turned his head, looked at Mose and then said to his wife: "Wall, whar's the difference, he can't tell about it." "Come atter a c--c--c--cup o' v--v--v--v--"