You bet I'm a star-spangled old persuader, look what I did with you--" "You stop!" cried Kate, breaking from his hold.

"You will drive me crazy! You're talking as if you married me expecting land and money from it.

I haven't been home in a year, and my father would deliberately kill me if I went within his reach." "Well, score one for little old scratchin', pickin', Mammy!" he cried.
"She SAID you had a secret!" Kate stood very still, looking at him so intently that a sense of shame must have stirred in his breast.
"Look here, Kate," he said, roughly.

"Mother did say you had a secret, and she hinted at Christmas that the reason you didn't go home was because your folks were at outs with you, and you can ask her if I didn't tell her to shut up and leave you alone, that I was in love with you, and I'd marry you and we'd get along all right, even if you were barred from home, and didn't get a penny.

I just dare you to ask her." "It's no matter," said Kate, wearily.