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when I found him the little calf could run and notice like everything！〃
〃I should hate your contract； Lin；〃 said I。 〃Adopting's a touch…and…go
business even when a man has a home。〃
〃I'll fill the contract； you bet！ I wish the little son…of…a…gun was
mine。 I'm a heap more natural to him than that pair of drunkards that got
him。 He likes me： I think he does。 I've had to lick him now and then； but
Lord！ his badness is all rightnot sneaky。 I'll take him hunting next
month； and then the foreman's wife at Sunk Creek boards him till school。
Only when they move； Judge Henry'll make his Virginia man foremanand
he's got no woman to look after Billy； yu' see。〃
〃He's asking one hard enough；〃 said I； digressing。
〃Oh yes； asking！ Talk of adopting〃 said Mr。 McLean； and his wide…open；
hazel eyes looked away as he coughed uneasily。 Then abruptly looking at
me again； he said： 〃Don't you get off any more truck about eldest son and
that； will yu'； friend？ The boys are joshing me nownot that I care for
what might easy enough be so； but there's Billy。 Maybe he'd not mind； but
maybe he would after a while； and I am kind o' set onwellhe didn't
have a good time till he shook that home of his； and I'm going to make
this old bitch of a world pay him what she owes him； if I can。 Now you'll
drop joshing； won't yu'？〃 His forehead was moist over getting the thing
said and laying bare so much of his soul。
〃And so the world owes us a good time； Lin？〃 said I。
He laughed shortly。 〃She must have been dead broke； then； quite a while；
you bet！ Oh no。 Maybe I used to travel on that basis。 But see here〃 （Lin
laid his hand on my shoulder）； 〃if you can't expect a good time for
yourself in reason； you can sure make the kids happy out o' reason； can't
yu'？〃
I fairly opened my mouth at him。
〃Oh yes；〃 he said； laughing in that short way again （and he took his hand
off my shoulder）； 〃I've been thinking a wonderful lot since we met last。
I guess I know some things yu' haven't got to yet yourself Why； there's
a girl！〃
〃That there is！〃 said I。 〃And certainly the world owes her a better〃
〃She's a fine…looker；〃 interrupted Mr。 McLean； paying me no further
attention。 Here the decrepit； straw…hatted proprietor of the Hotel
Brunswick stuck his beard out of the door and uttered 〃Supper！〃 with a
shrill croak； at which the girl rose。
〃Come！〃 said Lin； 〃let's hurry！〃
But I hooked my fingers in his belt； and in spite of his plaintive oaths
at my losing him the best seat at the table； told him in three words the
sister's devoted journey。
〃Nate Buckner！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Him with a decent sister！〃
〃It's the other way round；〃 said I。 〃Her with him for a brother！〃
〃He goes to the penitentiary this week；〃 said Lin。 〃He had no more cash
to stake his lawyer with； and the lawyer lost interest in him。 So his
sister could have waited for her convict away back at Joliet； and saved
time and money。 How did she act when yu' told her？〃
〃I've not told her。〃
〃Not？ Too kind o' not your business？ Well； well！ You'd ought to know
better 'n me。 Only it don't seem right to let herno； sir； it's not
right； either。 Put it her brother was dead （and Miss。 Fligg's husband
would like dearly to make him dead）； you'd not let her come slap up
against the news unwarned。 You would tell her he was sick； and start her
gently。〃
〃Death's different；〃 said I。
〃Shucks！ And she's to find him caged； and waiting for stripes and a
shaved head？ How d' yu' know she mightn't hate that worse 'n if he'd been
just shot like a man in a husband scrape； instead of jailed like a skunk
for thieving？ No； sir； she mustn't。 Think of how it'll be。 Quick as the
stage pulls up front o' the Buffalo post…office； plump she'll be down
ahead of the mail…sacks； inquiring after her brother； and all that crowd
around staring。 Why； we can't let her do that； she can't do that。 If you
don't feel so interfering； I'm good for this job myself。〃 And Mr。 McLean
took the lead and marched jingling in to supper。
The seat he had coveted was vacant。 On either side the girl were empty
chairs； two or three； for with that clean； shy respect of the frontier
that divines and evades a good woman； the dusty company had sat itself at
a distance； and Mr。 McLean's best seat was open to him。 Yet he had veered
away to the other side of the table； and his usually roving eye attempted
no gallantry。 He ate sedately； and it was not until after long weeks and
many happenings that Miss Buckner told Lin she had known he was looking
at her through the whole of this meal。 The straw…hatted proprietor came
and went； bearing beefsteak hammered flat to make it tender。 The girl
seemed the one happy person among us； for supper was going forward with
the invariable alkali etiquette； all faces brooding and feeding amid a
disheartening silence as of guilt or bereavement that springs from I have
never been quite sure whatperhaps reversion to the native animal
absorbed in his meat； perhaps a little from every guest's uneasiness lest
he drink his coffee wrong or stumble in the accepted uses of the fork。
Indeed； a diffident； uncleansed youth nearest Miss Buckner presently
wiped his mouth upon the cloth； and Mr。 McLean； knowing better than that；
eyed him for this conduct in the presence of a lady。 The lively strength
of the butter must； I think； have reached all in the room； at any rate；
the table…cloth lad； troubled by Mr。 McLean's eye； now relieved the
general silence by observing； chattily：
〃Say； friends； that butter ain't in no trance。〃
〃If it's too rich for you；〃 croaked the enraged proprietor； 〃use
axle…dope。〃
The company continued gravely feeding； while I struggled to preserve the
decorum of sadness； and Miss Buckner's face was also unsteady。 But
sternness mantled in the countenance of Mr。 McLean； until the harmless
boy； embarrassed to pieces； offered the untasted smelling…dish to Lin； to
me； helped himself； and finally thrust the plate at the girl； saying； in
his Texas idiom；
〃Have butter。〃
He spoke in the shell voice of adolescence； and on 〃butter〃 cracked an
octave up into the treble。 Miss Buckner was speechless； and could only
shake her head at the plate。
Mr。 McLean； however； thought she was offended。 〃She wouldn't choose for
none；〃 he said to the youth； with appalling calm。 〃Thank yu' most to
death。〃
〃I guess；〃 fluted poor Texas； in a dove falsetto； 〃it would go slicker
rubbed outside than swallered。〃
At this Miss Buckner broke from the table and fled out of the house。
〃You don't seem to know anything；〃 observed Mr。 McLean。 〃What toy…shop
did you escape from？〃
〃Wind him up！ Wind him up！〃 said the proprietor； sticking his head in
from the kitchen。
〃Ah； what's the matter with this outfit？〃 screamed the boy； furiously。
〃Can't yu' leave a man eat？ Can't yu' leave him be？ You make me sick！〃
And he flounced out with his young boots。
All the while t