What's the use of waiting, when she knows why you are here ?" By this time Skim had been flattered to the extent of destroying any stray sense he might ever have possessed.

His utter ignorance of girls and their ways may have been partly responsible for his idiocy, or his mother's conviction that all that was necessary was for him to declare himself in order to be accepted had misled him and induced him to abandon any native diffidence he might have had.

Anyway, the boy fell into the snare set by the mischievous young ladies without a suspicion of his impending fate.
"Miss Beth," said he, "ef yer willin', I'll marry ye; any time ye say.

I agreed t' help Dick Pearson with the harvestin', but I'll try to' git Ned Long to take my place, an' it don't matter much, nohow." "But I couldn't have you break an engagement," cried Beth, hastily.
"Why not ?" "Oh, it wouldn't be right, at all.

Mr.Pearson would never forgive me," she asserted.
"Can't ye--" "No; not before harvest, Skim.