Mrs. Hayden straightened herself up with a start and looked at him , her lips quivering and her eyes full of tears . `` What is the matter ? '' said Harrington anxiously . `` Is anything wrong ? '' `` Oh , nothing much , '' Said Mrs. Hayden , trying to recover herself . `` Yes , there is too . But it is very foolish of me to be going on like this . I did n't know anyone was near . And I was feeling so discouraged . The colt broke his leg in the swamp pasture today and Hiram had to shoot him . It was Ted 's colt . But there , there is no use in crying over it . '' And by way of proving this , the poor , tired , overburdened little woman began to cry again . She was past caring whether Harrington saw her or not . The woman-hater was so distressed that he forgot to be nervous . He sat down and put his arm around her and spoke out what was in his mind without further parley . `` Do n't cry , Mary . Listen to me . You were never meant to run a farm and be killed with worry . You ought to be looked after and petted .
I want you XXXXX marry me and then everything will be all right .
after around at in of that to whether with without