can just walk off and call crows, if that’s what you’ve got on your minds. He’s got to keep on the job for me all the time.”
Darling Jill sat down on Pluto’s lap. He was surprised, and pleased. He beamed with pleasure when she put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“Why don’t you and Pluto get married?” Ty Ty asked.
“I’m willing, day or night,” Pluto said eagerly.
“I declare, it sure would be a big load off my mind if you would.”
“I’m willing, day or night,” Pluto repeated. “And that’s a fact.”
“You’re willing for what?” Darling Jill asked.
“To get married anytime you say so.”
“To me? Marry me?”
“You bet your boots,” he said, jerking his head at her. “I’m crazy about you, Darling Jill, and I can’t keep on waiting for it to happen. I want to get married right away.”
“When you swallow that belly, I might think about it.” She began pounding it with her fists, hitting him without mercy. “But I wouldn’t marry you now, you horse’s ass.”
Not even Pluto spoke after that. There was not a word spoken for nearly a minute. Then Griselda got up and tried to make Darling Jill leave Pluto alone.
“Hush, Darling Jill,” Griselda said; “don’t talk like that. It isn’t nice.”
“Well, he is an old horse’s ass, isn’t he? What would you call him? A doll-baby? He looks like a horse’s ass to me.”
Ty Ty got up and went out of the room. Everyone supposed he was going down to the barn and bring back the albino. The others in the room sat still and tried not to look at Pluto. Pluto sat glumly alone, hurt by Darling Jill’s treatment of him, but all the more eager to marry her.
CHAPTER IX
T HERE WAS A stamping of heavy-shod feet on the front porch. Ty Ty’s voice could be heard above the sound, however; he was telling Uncle Felix to take Dave into the house and show him off.
“Just shove him in,” Ty Ty said. “The folks in there are waiting to get a look at him.”
The albino was the first to appear in the door; Uncle Felix was behind him, shotgun leveled against his back, and looking scared to death. He was glad to be relieved of his responsibility, if only temporarily, when Ty Ty told him to go to the kitchen and eat his supper.
“Well, folks, here he is,” Ty Ty said proudly. He laid the shotgun across the chair seat and led Dave into the room. “Take a seat and make yourself at home.”
“What’s your name, fellow?” Will asked him, partly dazzled by the whiteness of his skin and hair.
“Dave.”
“Dave how-many?”
“Dave Dawson.”
“Can you divine a lode of gold?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried it before.”
“Well, then,” Will said, “you’d better begin praying about it, because if you can’t, all these folks are going to be pretty mad at you and I don’t know what might be liable to happen to you.”
“Sure, he can do it,” Ty Ty broke in. “He can do it and don’t know it.”
“I want to see the gold you divine, fellow,” Will told him. “I want to feel it in my hand, and bite it.”
“Now, don’t get him all shy and scared, Will. When he grows up, he’s going to be some almighty gold-diviner. He’s young yet. Just give him time.”
Darling Jill and Rosamond had been looking at the strange man without taking their eyes from him. Rosamond was a little afraid of him, and she drew back in her chair involuntarily. Darling Jill, though, leaned forward and gazed steadily into his eyes. He felt her staring at him and he looked at her. Dave bit his lip, wondering who she was. He had never seen a girl he thought so beautiful before, and he was trembling a little.
With their eyes upon him, Dave felt like an animal on exhibition. All of them were looking at him, and he could only look at one person at a time. His eyes went around the room, returning to Darling Jill. The more he saw her, the more he liked her. He wondered if she were the wife of one of the men in the room.
“How do
Darling Jill sat down on Pluto’s lap. He was surprised, and pleased. He beamed with pleasure when she put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“Why don’t you and Pluto get married?” Ty Ty asked.
“I’m willing, day or night,” Pluto said eagerly.
“I declare, it sure would be a big load off my mind if you would.”
“I’m willing, day or night,” Pluto repeated. “And that’s a fact.”
“You’re willing for what?” Darling Jill asked.
“To get married anytime you say so.”
“To me? Marry me?”
“You bet your boots,” he said, jerking his head at her. “I’m crazy about you, Darling Jill, and I can’t keep on waiting for it to happen. I want to get married right away.”
“When you swallow that belly, I might think about it.” She began pounding it with her fists, hitting him without mercy. “But I wouldn’t marry you now, you horse’s ass.”
Not even Pluto spoke after that. There was not a word spoken for nearly a minute. Then Griselda got up and tried to make Darling Jill leave Pluto alone.
“Hush, Darling Jill,” Griselda said; “don’t talk like that. It isn’t nice.”
“Well, he is an old horse’s ass, isn’t he? What would you call him? A doll-baby? He looks like a horse’s ass to me.”
Ty Ty got up and went out of the room. Everyone supposed he was going down to the barn and bring back the albino. The others in the room sat still and tried not to look at Pluto. Pluto sat glumly alone, hurt by Darling Jill’s treatment of him, but all the more eager to marry her.
CHAPTER IX
T HERE WAS A stamping of heavy-shod feet on the front porch. Ty Ty’s voice could be heard above the sound, however; he was telling Uncle Felix to take Dave into the house and show him off.
“Just shove him in,” Ty Ty said. “The folks in there are waiting to get a look at him.”
The albino was the first to appear in the door; Uncle Felix was behind him, shotgun leveled against his back, and looking scared to death. He was glad to be relieved of his responsibility, if only temporarily, when Ty Ty told him to go to the kitchen and eat his supper.
“Well, folks, here he is,” Ty Ty said proudly. He laid the shotgun across the chair seat and led Dave into the room. “Take a seat and make yourself at home.”
“What’s your name, fellow?” Will asked him, partly dazzled by the whiteness of his skin and hair.
“Dave.”
“Dave how-many?”
“Dave Dawson.”
“Can you divine a lode of gold?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried it before.”
“Well, then,” Will said, “you’d better begin praying about it, because if you can’t, all these folks are going to be pretty mad at you and I don’t know what might be liable to happen to you.”
“Sure, he can do it,” Ty Ty broke in. “He can do it and don’t know it.”
“I want to see the gold you divine, fellow,” Will told him. “I want to feel it in my hand, and bite it.”
“Now, don’t get him all shy and scared, Will. When he grows up, he’s going to be some almighty gold-diviner. He’s young yet. Just give him time.”
Darling Jill and Rosamond had been looking at the strange man without taking their eyes from him. Rosamond was a little afraid of him, and she drew back in her chair involuntarily. Darling Jill, though, leaned forward and gazed steadily into his eyes. He felt her staring at him and he looked at her. Dave bit his lip, wondering who she was. He had never seen a girl he thought so beautiful before, and he was trembling a little.
With their eyes upon him, Dave felt like an animal on exhibition. All of them were looking at him, and he could only look at one person at a time. His eyes went around the room, returning to Darling Jill. The more he saw her, the more he liked her. He wondered if she were the wife of one of the men in the room.
“How do
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