That's 'cause you know Edna Perry is goin' to be there--ayes!" Edna Perry was a widow of about his age who was visiting her sister in the neighborhood.
Aunt Deel wouldn't go to church with us, so we went off together and walked home with Mrs.Perry.As we passed our house I saw Aunt Deel looking out of the window and waved my hand to her.
When we got home at last we found my aunt sitting in her armchair by the stove.
"You did it--didn't ye ?--ayes," she demanded rather angrily as we came in.
"Done what ?" asked Uncle Peabody.
"Shinin' up to that Perry woman--ain't ye ?--ayes! I see you're bound to git married--ayes!" I had no idea what it meant to get married but I made up my mind that it was something pretty low and bad.

For the moment I blamed Uncle Peabody.
Aunt Deel's voice and manner seemed to indicate that she had borne with him to the limit of her patience.
"Delia," said my uncle, "I wouldn't be so--" Again he checked himself for fear of going too far, I suppose.
"My heart! my heart!" Aunt Deel exclaimed and struggled to her feet sobbing, and Uncle Peabody helped her to the lounge.

She was so ill the rest of the day that my uncle had to go for the doctor while I bathed her forehead with cold water.
Poor Uncle Peabody! Every step toward matrimony required such an outlay of emotion and such a sacrifice of comfort that I presume it seemed to be hardly worth while.
Yet I must be careful not to give the reader a false impression of my Aunt Deel.

She was a thin, pale woman, rather tall, with brown hair and blue eyes and a tongue--well, her tongue has spoken for itself.

I suppose that she will seem inhumanly selfish with this jealousy of her brother.
"I promised ma that I would look after you and I'm a-goin' to do it--ayes!" I used to hear her say to my uncle.
There were not many married men who were so thoroughly looked after.
This was due in part to her high opinion of the Baynes family, and to a general distrust of women.