"
"Well, why won't she have you?" persisted Quincy.
"That's easy to answer," said Hiram. "You stated the situation purty
plainly yourself when you counted up my income, ten dollars a month and
my food and two suits of clothes. How could I pervide for Mandy out o'
that?"
"Well," asked Quincy, "supposing I bought that grocery store for you and
you got along well and made money. Do you think Mandy would consent to
become Mrs. Maxwell?"
"I can't say for sure, Mr. Sawyer, but I think Miss Mandy Skinner would
be at a loss for any good reason for refusin' me, in case what you jest
talked about come to pass," said Hiram.
"Now," proceeded Quincy, "we will settle that little matter that I
referred to a short time ago. You remember you were telling me your war
experiences. You said you were never shot, but that you were hit with a
fence rail at the battle of Cedar Mountain."
"Waal, I guess if you git my war record you will find I didn't tell yer
any lie about that."
"Well, no," said Quincy, "that's all right; but why didn't you tell me
that on one occasion, when the captain of your company was shot down,
together with half the attacking force, that you took his body on your
back and bore him off the field, at the same time sounding the retreat
with your bugle? Why didn't you tell me that on two separate occasions,
when the color sergeants of your company were shot and the flag fell
from their grasp, that you took the flag and bore it forward, sounding
the charge, until you were relieved of your double duty? In other words,
when there were so many good things that you could say for yourself, why
didn't you say them?"
Hiram thought for a moment and then he said, "Waal, I didn't think that
I had any right to interduce outside matters not connected with what we
were talkin' about.
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