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 *pated and yet kinder stylish and handsome, that I felt certain could belong to no other.

I invited him in and sot him a chair, for I felt that he wuz a-goin' to have a bad enough time without standin' up, and he sez most the first thing:

"I want to see my affianced."

And I sez, "Nobody by that name is here or been here."

Sez he, "My betrothed."

And then I sez, "I don't somehow seem to recognize the name."

And he yelled up a little, "The girl I'm engaged to, Miss Dora Peak; or that is," sez he, "I've considered it the same as an engagement, though perhaps it hasn't quite reached that point."

"Oh," sez I, "you mean Dora; well, she is not here jest now."

"And," he sez, his red face growin' redder and his kinder bloodshot eyes dartin' angry gleams, "I have heard all about your treacherous conduct, and I've come to settle with you."

"You have, have you!" sez I, and I turned over the sock I wuz a-mendin' and attackted it in a new place.

"Yes," sez he, "I've heard how you have encouraged the attentions of another man to the girl I wuz as good as engaged to, the girl I have paid attention to for years."

Sez I calmly, a-lookin' him over as if he wuz a banty rooster, "Have you paid attention to her exclusively?"

"I have never paid attention to another lady!" he yelled in quite a loud voice and shrill.

"Mebby not," sez I, and I went on, "Dora can do as she pleases, but if I wuz a young girl," sez I, "I