It irritated me slightly , because it seemed to imply that he thought Alexander Abraham Bennett would be one too many for me . But I did not show Mr. Allan that he annoyed me . It is always a great mistake to let a man see that he can vex you . The next afternoon I harnessed my sorrel pony to the buggy and drove down to Alexander Abraham Bennett 's . As usual , I took William Adolphus with me for company . William Adolphus is my favourite among my six cats . He is black , with a white dicky and beautiful white paws . He sat up on the seat beside me and looked far more like a gentleman than many a man I 've seen in a similar position . Alexander Abraham 's place was about three miles along the White Sands road . I knew the house as soon as I came to it by its neglected appearance . It needed paint badly ; the blinds were crooked and torn ; weeds grew up to the very door . Plainly , there was no woman about THAT place . Still , it was a nice house , and the barns were splendid . My father always said that when a man 's barns were bigger than his house it was a sign that his income exceeded his expenditure . So it was all right that they should be bigger ; but it was all wrong that they should be trimmer and better painted . Still , thought I , what else could you expect of a woman hater ? `` But Alexander Abraham evidently knows how to run a farm , even it he is a woman hater , '' I remarked to William Adolphus as I got out and tied the pony to the railing . I had driven up to the house from the back way and now I was opposite a side door opening on the veranda . I thought I might as well go to it , so I tucked William Adolphus under my arm and marched up the path . Just as I was half-way up , a dog swooped around the front corner and made straight for me .
He was the ugliest dog I had ever seen ; and he did n't even bark -- just came silently and speedily on , XXXXX a business-like eye .
So along around as because for on that under with