asked Thorn , taking a fatherly interest in the younger man 's love passages . `` Not quite . ` Fore long , Joe whistled , and as I always take short cuts everywhar , I put in at the back-door , jest as Kitty come trottin ' out of the pantry with a big berry-pie in her hand . I startled her , she tripped over the sill and down she come ; the dish flew one way , the pie flopped into her lap , the juice spatterin ' my boots and her clean gown . I thought she 'd cry , scold , have hysterics , or some confounded thing or other ; but she jest sat still a minute , then looked up at me with a great blue splash on her face , and went off into the good-naturedest gale of laughin ' you ever heard in your life . That finished me . ` Gay , ' thinks I ; ` go in and win . ' So I did ; made love hand over hand , while I stayed with Joe ; pupposed a fortnight after , married her in three months , and there she is , a tiptop little woman , with a pair of stunnin ' boys in her arms ! '' Out came a well-worn case , and Dick proudly displayed the likeness of a stout , much bejewelled young woman with two staring infants on her knee . In his sight , the poor picture was a more perfect work of art than any of Sir Joshua 's baby-beauties , or Raphael 's Madonnas , and the little story needed no better sequel than the young father 's praises of his twins , the covert kiss he gave their mother when he turned as if to get a clearer light upon the face . Ashamed to show the tenderness that filled his honest heart , he hummed `` Kingdom Coming , '' relit his cigar , and presently began to talk again . `` Now , then , Flint , it 's your turn to keep guard , and Thorn 's to tell his romance . Come , do n't try to shirk ; it does a man good to talk of such things , and we 're all mates here . '' `` In some cases it do n't do any good to talk of such things ; better let 'em alone , '' muttered Thorn , as he reluctantly sat down , while Flint as reluctantly departed . With a glance and gesture of real affection , Phil laid his hand upon his comrade 's knee , saying in his persuasive voice , `` Old fellow , it will do you good , because I know you often long to speak of something that weighs upon you . You 've kept us steady many a time , and done us no end of kindnesses ; why be too proud to let us give our sympathy in return , if nothing more ? '' Thorn 's big hand closed over the slender one upon his knee , and the mild expression , so rarely seen upon his face , passed over it as he replied , -- `` I think I could tell you almost anything if you asked me that way , my boy . It is n't that I am too proud , -- and you 're right about my sometimes wanting to free my mind , -- but it 's because a man of forty do n't just like to open out to young fellows , if there is any danger of their laughing at him , though he may deserve it . I guess there is n't now , and I 'll tell you how I found my wife . '' Dick sat up , and Phil drew nearer , for the earnestness that was in the man dignified his plain speech , and inspired an interest in his history , even before it was begun .
Looking gravely at the river and never at his hearers , as if still a little shy of confidants , yet grateful for the relief of words , XXXXX began abruptly : -- `` I never hear the number eighty-four without clapping my hand to my left breast and missing my badge .
Dick Flint Joe Joshua Thorn laughin minute spatterin stunnin trottin