"And Sally's the boss!"
Silence.
"And granny won't object to any one Sally marries, anyhow--she dassent!
She'd git licked!"
"Who said anything about marrying?"
Seffy was speciously savage now--as any successful wooer might be.
"Nobody but me, sank you!" said the old man with equally specious
meekness. "Look how she ken jump a six-rail fence. Like a three-year
filly! She's a nice gal, Seffy--and the farms j'ine together--her
pasture-field and our corn-field. And she's kissing her hand backwards!
At me or you, Seffy?"
Seffy said he didn't know. And he did not return the kiss--though he
yearned to.
"Well, I bet a dollar that the first initial of his last name is
Sephenijah P. Baumgartner, _Junior_."
"Well!" said Seffy with a great flourish, "I'm going to set up with her
to-night."
"Oach--git out, Sef!"--though he knew it.
"You'll see."
"No, I won't," said his father. "I wouldn't be so durn mean. Nossir!"
Seffy grinned at this subtle foolery, and his courage continued to grow.
"I'm going to wear my high hat!" he announced, with his nose quite in
the air.
"No, Sef!" said the old man with a wonderful inflection, facing him
about that he might look into his determined face.
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