I 'm not young , and I 'm not pretty , and I 'm not in love , but I 've more gumption than you and Burton have or ever will have . You keep your eyes open and see if you can learn something . You 'll need it if you go up to live with old John Ellis . '' Burton had returned to the turnip field , but old John Ellis was taking his ease with a rampant political newspaper on the cool verandah of his house . Looking up from a bitter editorial to chuckle over a cutting sarcasm contained therein , he saw a tall , angular figure coming up the lane with aggressiveness written large in every fold and flutter of shawl and skirt . `` Old Susan Oliver , as sure as a gun , '' said old John with another chuckle . `` She looks mad clean through . I suppose she 's coming here to blow me up for refusing to let Burton take that girl of hers . She 's been angling and scheming for it for years , but she will find who she has to deal with . Come on , Miss Susan . '' John Ellis laid down his paper and stood up with a sarcastic smile . Miss Susan reached the steps and skimmed undauntedly up them . She did indeed look angry and disturbed . Without any preliminary greeting she burst out into a tirade that simply took away her complacent foe 's breath . `` Look here , John Ellis , I want to know what this means . I 've discovered that that young upstart of a son of yours , who ought to be in short trousers yet , has been courting my niece , Madge Oliver , all summer . He has had the impudence to tell me that he wants to marry her . I wo n't have it , I tell you , and you can tell your son so . Marry my niece indeed ! A pretty pass the world is coming to !
I 'll never consent XXXXX it . ''
Without as from if in into on than to up