下载辰思小说免费APP
Heturnedthetokeninhishand，caressingitasonthatfirstnightwhenJessaminehadtakenhisheartcaptive。
“Myidea，“headded，unabletolifthiseyesfromthetreasure。“Seethis，too。“
Ilooked，andtherewastheword“Neighbor“engravedonit。
“Heridea，“saidhe。
“Agoodone!“Imurmured。
“It’sonboth，yu’know。Wehaditputonthedayshesettledtoacceptthesuperintendent’sproposition。“HereLinfiredhissmallexchangedweaponatacotton-wood，strikinglow。“Shecanbeatthatwithmine!“heexclaimed，proudandtender。“ShetookfourdaysdecidingatEdgeford，andIlearnedhertohittheaceofclubs。“Heshowedmethecardstheyhadpracticeduponduringthosefourdaysofindecision；hehadtheminabookasiftheywerepressedflowers。“Theywon’tgetcrumpledthatway，“
saidhe；andhefurthershowedmeatintype。“She’sgottheotheratSepar，“hefinished。
Ishookhishandwithallmymight。Yes，hewasworthyofher!Yes，hedeservedthissmoothcoursehislovewasrunning!AndIshookhishandagain。TotonichergriefJessaminehadlongedforsomeactivity，somework，andhehadshownherWyomingmightholdthisforheraswellasKentucky。“Buthowintheworld，“Iaskedhim，“didyoupersuadehertostopoveratEdgefordatall？“
“Yu’mustn’tforget，“saidthelover(andheblushed)，“thatIhadherfourhoursaloneonthetrain。“
Buthisfacethateveningroundthefire，whentheytalkedoftheirnextday’swelcometothenewagent，becamecomedyofthehighest，andhewassodesperatelycannyinthemomentshechoseforsilenceorforcomment!
Hehadnotbeensureoftheirignoranceuntilhearrived，anditwasajokewithhimtoodeepforlaughter。HehadaspecialeyeupontheVirginian，hismateinsuchataleofmischiefs，andnowheledhimon。
HesuggestedtotheSouthernerthatcautionmightbewise；thischangeatSeparwasperhapssomenewtrickofthecompany’s。
“Wemostlytaketheirtricks，“observedtheVirginian。
“Yes，“saidLin，noddingsagelyatthefire，“that’sso，too。“
Yetnothe，notanyone，couldhaveforeseenthemortifyingharmlessnessoftheoutcome。TheysweptdownuponSeparlikeallthehordesoflegend——
moreegregiously，perhaps，becausetheywereplay-actingandnoserioushordewouldgoonso。OurfinalhundredyardsofspeedandcopioushowlingbroughtalldwellersinSeparouttogazeanddisappearlikerabbits——allsavethenewagentinthestation。Nobodyranoutorinthere，andthehordewhirleduptothetiny，defencelessbuildingandleapedtoearth——exceptLinandme；wesatwatching。Theinnocentdoorstoodopenwidetoanycoolbreezeorinvasion，andHoneyWiggintrampedinforemost，hatloweringovereyesandpistolprominent。Hestoppedrooted，staring，andhismouthcameopenslowly；hishandwentfeelingupforhishat，andcamedownwithitbydegreesasbydegreeshisgrinspread。Theninamilkyvoice，hesaid：“Why，excuseme，ma’am!
Good-morning。“
Thereansweredaclear，long，rippling，amplelaugh。Itcameoutoftheopendoorintotheheat；itmadethesun-bakedairmerry；itseemedtowelcomeandmock；itgeniallyhoveredaboutusinthedustyquietofSepar；fortherewasnoothersoundanywhereatallintheplace，andthegreatplainstretchedawaysilentallroundit。Thebulgingwater-tankshoneoverheadinbland，ironicsafety。
Thehordestoodblank；thenitshifteditslegs，lookedsidewaysatitself，andinahesitatingclumpreachedthedoor，shambledin，andremoveditsfoolishhat。
“Good-morning，gentlemen，“saidJessamineBuckner，seatedbehindherrailing；andvariousvoicesendeavoredtoreplyconventionally。
“Ifyouhaveanyletters，ma’am，“saidtheVirginian，moreinventive，“I’lltakethem。LettersforJudgeHenry’s。“Heknewthejudge’sofficewasseventymilesfromhere。
“AnyfortheC。Y。？“mutteredanother，likewiseknowingbetter。
Itwasahappy，ifsimple，thought，andmostoftheminquiredforthemail。Jessaminesoughtcarefully，makingthemrepeattheirnames，whichsomedidguiltily：theyforesawhowsoontheladywouldfindoutnolettersevercameforthesenames!
Therewasnoletterforanyonepresent。
“I’msorry，truly，“saidJessaminebehindtherailing。“Foryouseemedrealanxioustogetnews。Betterlucknexttime!AndifImakemistakes，pleaseeverybodysetmestraight，forofcourseIdon’tunderstandthingsyet。“
“Yes，m’m。“
“Good-day，m’m。“
“Thankyu’，m’m。’
Theygotthemselvesoutofthestationandintotheirsaddles。
“No，shedon’tunderstandthingsyet，“soliloquizedtheVirginian。“Ohdear，no。“Heturnedhisslow，darkeyesuponus。“YouLinMcLean，“saidhe，inhisgentlevoice，“youhavec
