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No, Ah ain't got no bad feelin's for you, Ben Carter. Ah always found you a pretty good square man, good as the aver- age and better 'n some Ah know; but you might 'a' done more by us than a hund'ed dollars. Ah know you could 'a' spared more.

I know I could ’a’ spared more, but Jim agreed when I said a hund’ed and I couldn't 'a' paid as much as the boy's life was worth nohow.

'Deed you couldn't.

And ain't no man, black or white, goin' to give up more money than he has to.

Ah reckon you're right there. All men is pretty near alike when it comes to payin' out money.

I don't see no use in you bein' so gloomy about a thing that's done and been done for seven years.

[Turning to him.]

You can't expect for me to go around smilin' with the hopes Ah had for that boy. If he had 'a' lived till now he'd 'a' been twenty-five, wouldn't he?

Yes.