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160 George, maybe it is not a fair question—if it is not tell me so—is there any other girl living that you like better?"

"No," said George, "I cannot say there is. I never thought that I was either rich enough or good enough to marry, and would not have a girl depend on such a broken reed as I am?"

"Then maybe you will change your mind and think more of me when you are far away; if so I can only say that you will find me the same."

"You said you were going to get over it," said George.

"So I will; I'll get over that senseless way of thinking about you and wondering what you think about me that makes me forget my work and lose my head, as my mother says; but that was the doubt and the fear and the difficulty of finding out your real feelings. That doubt is over and that difficulty overcome, and I'll go back to my work with a mind at rest; but as for getting over what I feel for you altogether, that will take a while, I'm thinking."

"Your father looks higher for you than such as me," said George.

"I think not," said Jessie. "What was he, what were we all but plain working people? If he's worth ten thousand pounds, or maybe nearer twenty thousand, we helped to earn it, and should have a right to please ourselves. I took a flock