Mayfield's gentle words pattered
musically among them like rain in the dust. She did not take notice of
the ludicrous mishap, and when Jim had scrambled to his feet and was
standing there ridiculous with a dry grin, she said to him: "I know you
must be fond of books, and when I return home I will send you
some--books that I have read and marked when the hours were long."
The preacher recovered himself. "Ma'm," said he, "in a book yo' pencil
would make a high price mark, and from one man that I know of there
could be no purchase."
"I gad," snorted Old Jasper, "dinged if he didn't git right up and stand
higher than he was befo'."
"Jasper," Margaret protested, "I wouldn't make fun of the way a man
stands. It don't sound right."
"My dear," Mrs. Mayfield replied to Margaret, motherly, though young,
"he paid Mr. Reverend a pretty compliment."
"Now did he?" Margaret rejoined. "Wall, if he did I'm mighty glad of it,
but the truth is, Miz Mayfield, Jasper is so full of his pranks you
never can tell how to take him. Lou, why don't you pass the butter to
Mr.
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