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 they're well off—the bright, pure star that had lit his life so long didn't seem so valuable and shinin' as the dashin' glitter of this newly discovered meteor (metafor). The widder had writ to him and he had writ to her, and his talk since then had been full of her, and I see how it wuz, he wuz kinder waverin' back and forth, though I mistrusted, and as good as told Marion so, that his love for her wuz as firm as ever, it wuz only his fancy that had been touched.

Well, if you'll believe it, that very afternoon after I'd got home, who should come in but Laurence Marsh, he brought some legal papers he had been fixin' for Josiah—and I treated him quite cool, about as cool as spring water, I should judge, for I didn't like the idee of his usin' Marion as he had, though of course he wuzn't engaged to her, and had a right to pick and choose. And, for all the world, if he didn't go to work and confide in me. It duz beat all how folks do open their hearts to me; I spoze it is my oncommon good looks that makes 'em, and my noble mean, mebby, and if you'll believe it, and though I hadn't no idee I should, I did feel kinder sorry for him before he got through. He appreciated Marion, I see, to the very extent of appreciation, but his fancy had been touched, the romance in his nater had responded to Miss Piddockses romance.

"Miss Piddock?" sez I, "she that wuz Evangeline Allen?"

"Her name is Evangeline; so suited to her," sez he.

"A widder with three children?" sez I.

"Yes, three beautiful little cherubs; I love them already from their mother's description."

"Why," sez I, "Miss Piddock is related to Josiah on his own side, and we've been layin' out to go and see