Page:Caroline Lockhart--The full of the Moon.djvu/25

 brother, "will wear his hat in the house and sleep in his boots and"

Elsie chimed in—

"When he's excited he will always explain that he's 'plumb locoed' and announce his departure by saying that he's 'got to hit the grit'—they never fail to say that in books.

"And after he's had a drop too much in town he'll come out and saddle one of the carriage horses. Then he'll chase the jerseys over the lawn swinging the clothes-line. We-ee-ough! we-ee-ough!"

"I'll tell you one thing right now," Nan turned upon her tormenter with heat. "If I want to marry a cowboy I'll do it! I mean to marry to please myself."

"Why not the coachman? He's quite picturesque in his stable clothes and besides, his first name is Rupert, even if his last name is Higgins."

"Hush," Mrs. Galbraith's tone was peremptory, "I think your humor is in exceedingly bad taste."

Robert Ellison stooped to stroke the glossy neck of his favorite hunter and did his utmost