Page:Samantha on Children's Rights.djvu/126

 when that long, slim feller come walkin' in, if you'll believe it, Tamer Ann Allen actually seemed gladder to see him and made more on him than she did of Josiah and me, it wuz a sight to see it go on.

It seemed that when that old young chap come down into that neighborhood he put up to the hotel to Zoar, and then would walk over to Hamenses, and be there day in and day out, and stay jest as long as he could. He liked Anna as well as he could like anything outside of his old bones and ancestors and things, and I didn't wonder at it, for her fresh young beauty must have been attractive to him, and a sort of a welcome change from his own looks and dry bones and family trees and such.

But I see she didn't care anything about him, and I didn't blame her; good land! I thought to myself I could easier git up a sentimental attachment to a good new telegraph pole, for that would be kinder fresh and hemlocky. But Tamer bowed down before him as if he wuz pure gold. His name wuz Von Winklstein Von Crankerstone, or I guess that's it. I can't be sure even to this late day that I have got the name down right, all the Vons and Winkles and things in their right places. But I have done the best I could, and no man or woman can do more.

Tamer didn't like it, because I couldn't git his name right when she introduced him, and I guess I did stumble round considerable amongst them Dutch syllables. But Tamer didn't like it, for in apology for my short-*comin's I mentioned Dutch. And she sez out in the back kitchen, where I followed her, to apologize:

"You speak of his bein' Dutch; why," sez she, "Josiah Allen's wife, he is from one of the oldest families