"
"Yah, yah! reckon not," chuckled Hiram. One of the farm household
had evidently been won.
"It seems to me," remarked smiling Sue, "that I saw several young
men in town who appeared scarcely equal to carrying their canes."
"Dudes?"
"That's what they are called, I believe."
"They are not men. They are neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, but the
beginning of the great downward curve of evolution. Men came up
from monkeys, it's said, you know, but science is in despair over
the final down-comes of dudes. They may evolute into
grasshoppers."
The farmer was shaken with mirth, and Sue could not help seeing
that he was having a good time. She, however, felt that no
tranquilly exciting day was before her, as she had anticipated.
What wouldn't that muscular fellow attempt before night? He
possessed a sort of vim and cheerful audacity which made her
tremble, "He is too confident," she thought, "and needs a lesson.
All this digging is like that of soldiers who soon mean to drop
their shovels. I don't propose to be carried by storm just when he
gets ready.
Pages:
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301