Why, I understand Melissa went down street tellin' all
hands what a fine young man we'd got workin' for us. . . . Here,
what are you laughin' at?"
The word was ill-chosen; Jed seldom laughed, but he had smiled
slightly and the captain noticed it.
"What are you grinnin' at?" he repeated.
Jed's hand moved across his chin.
"Gab Bearse was in a spell ago," he replied, "and he was tellin'
about what Melissa said."
"Well, she said what I just said she said, didn't she?"
Mr. Winslow nodded. "Um-hm," he admitted, "she said--er--all of
that."
"All of it? Was there some more?"
"'Cordin' to Gabe there was. 'Cordin' to him she said . . . she
said . . . er . . . Hum! this brush ain't much better'n the other.
Seem to be comin' down with the mange, both of 'em."
"Gracious king! Consarn the paint brushes! Tell me what Melissa
said."
"Oh, yes, yes. . . . Well, 'cordin' to Gabe she said 'twas a
comfort to know there was a place in this town where an unprotected
female could go and not be insulted."
Captain Sam's laugh could have been heard across the road.
"Ho, ho!" he roared. "An unprotected female, eh? 'Cordin' to my
notion it's the male that needs protection when Melissa's around.
I've seen Lute Small standin' in the teller's cage, tongue-tied and
with the sweat standin' on his forehead, while Melissa gave him her
candid opinion of anybody that would vote to allow alcohol to be
sold by doctors in this town.
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