Page:Samantha on Children's Rights.djvu/123

 "I haven't the pleasuah of knowin' youah name," sez he, lookin' sort of pale round the mouth, and his eyes lookin' big and round. I spoze I skairt him some by my lofty mean (lofty under difficulties).

"I couldn't tell, youah know, who had come, youah know."

"That is so," sez I, "I forgot. Tell 'em that Josiah Allen's wife has come."

"Oh, Josiah Allen's wife, I have the gweatest pleasuah in meeting you. I have heard of youah, youah know." And he took off his hat and bowed low to me. I sithed, for I believed then and believe now he would have stood there for an hour holdin' his hat in his hand and bowin' to me and actin', and he looked more'n a mile high, too, I a-settin' there helpless. But I looked at him that witherin' that he turned agin and hurried off as fast as his long legs would carry him.

He hadn't got more'n a few steps away before a light buggy come rollin' on swift, and who should it be but Tom Willis goin' on some law bizness for Thomas J. up beyend Zoar. How curious things will turn out, now this wuz jest as curious as it wuz for Crusoe to discover Friday.

I guess I didn't have to talk to Tom Willis about his helpin' me. No, he flung the lines to the boy who wuz with him, and he wuz out of that buggy and by my side in less than a minute. And it wuzn't a minute more when he jest lifted me right up and held me for a minute or so, for I wuz giddy and sort o' stunted, and then he helped me into his buggy and we drove on to Hamenses and got there long enough before that long legged chap had arrived. He couldn't walk fast, so he told me afterwards, on account of his "pespiwin," and then