Fate got away with my half too one day when I
didn't know they was crooks like her sticking
around."
Well, I seen that girl seen through me then.
Martha was awful smart sometimes. And each
one was so derned tickled the other one wasn't go-
ing to do any pining away we like to of fell into
love all over agin. But not quite. Fur neither one
would ever trust the other one agin. So we felt
more comfortable with each other. You ain't
never comfortable with a person you know is more
honest than you be.
"But," says Martha, after a minute, "if you didn't
come back to make me marry you, what does
Doctor Kirby want to see Miss Hampton about?
And who was that with him?"
I had been nigh to forgetting the main thing we
had all come here fur, in my gladness at getting rid
of any danger of marrying Martha. But it come to
me all to oncet I had been missing a lot that must be
taking place inside that house. I had even missed
the way they first looked when she met 'em at the
door, and I wouldn't of missed that fur a lot. And
I seen all to oncet what a big piece of news it
will be to Martha.
"Martha," I says, "they ain't no Dr. Hartley L.
Kirby. The man known as such is David Arm-
strong!"
I never seen any one so peetrified as Martha was
fur a minute.
"Yes," says I, "and the other one is Miss Lucy's
brother.
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