` Reelly ? ' sez I. '' ` Solemn trew , ' sez she . `` Ef she 'd up an ' slapped me in the face , I should n't hev ben more throwed aback , fer I never mistrusted she cared two chips for me . I jest set an ' gawped ; fer she was ` solemn trew , ' I see that with half an eye , an ' it kinder took my breath away . Bewlah drawed the grewel off the fire , wiped her hands , an ' stood lookin ' at me a minnet , then she sez , slow an ' quiet , but tremblin ' a little , as women hev a way er doin ' , when they 've consid ` able steam aboard , -- '' ` Hiram , other folks think lumberin ' has spilt yeou ; I do n't ; they call you rough an ' rewd ; I know you 've got a real kind heart fer them as knows haow tew find it . Them girls give yeou up so easy , 'cause they never loved yeou , an ' yeou give them up 'cause you only thought abaout their looks an ' money . I 'm humly , an ' I 'm poor ; but I 've loved yeou ever sence we went a-nuttin ' years ago , an ' yeou shook daown fer me , kerried my bag , and kissed me tew the gate , when all the others shunned me , 'cause my father drank an ' I was shabby dressed , ugly , an ' shy . Yeou asked me in sport , I answered in airnest ; but I do n't expect nothin ' unless yeou mean as I mean . Like me , Hiram , or leave me , it wo n't make no odds in my lovin ' of yeou , nor helpin ' of yeou , ef I kin . ' '' ` Tai n't easy tew say haouw I felt , while she was goin ' on that way , but my idees was tumblin ' raound inside er me , as ef half a dozen dams was broke loose all tew oncet . One think was ruther stiddier 'n the rest , an ' that was that I liked Bewlah more 'n I knew . I begun tew see what kep ' me loafin ' tew hum so much , sence aunt was took daown ; why I wa n't in no hurry tew git them other gals , an ' haow I come tew pocket my mittens so easy arfter the fust rile was over . Bewlah was humly , poor in flesh , dreadful freckled , hed red hair , black eyes , an ' a gret mold side of her nose . But I 'd got wonted tew her ; she knowed my ways , was a fust rate housekeeper , real good-tempered , and pious without flingin ' o n't in yer face . She was a lonely creeter , -- her folks bein ' all dead but one sister , who did n't use her waal , an ' somehow I kinder yearned over her , as they say in Scripter . For all I set an ' gawped , I was coming raound fast , though I felt as I used tew , when I was goin ' to shoot the rapids , kinder breathless an ' oncertin , whether I 'd come aout right side up or not . Queer , war n't it ? '' `` Love , Flint ; that was a sure symptom of it . '' `` Waal , guess 't was ; anyway I jumped up all of a sudden , ketched Bewlah raound the neck , give her a hearty kiss , and sung aout , ` I 'll dew it sure 's my name 's Hi Flint ! ' The words was scarcely out of my maouth , ` fore daown come Dr. Parr .
He ' d ben up XXXXX see aunt , an ' said she would n't last the night threw , prob ` ly .
Bewlah Flint Scripter Tai ef kep rapids rile sence tew