"Wife," he murmured, bursting into tears and pressing the unsightly head to his breast,--"wife, wife, wife, I'm goin' to make you proud of bein' my wife, now that I'm a man once more." The woman did not return any of the caresses that had been showered upon her; neither did she repel them.

Finally she said,-- "You _do_ appear to think somethin' of me, Sam." "Think somethin' of you?
I always did, Nan, though I didn't show it like I ought.

I've had lots of time to think since then, though, an' I've had somethin' else, too, that I want to tell you about.

Things is goin' to be different, the Lord willin', Nan, dear--wife." Mrs.Kimper was human; she was a woman, and she finally rose to the occasion to the extent of kissing her husband, though immediately afterward she said, apparently by way of apology,-- "I don't know how I come to do that." "Neither do I, Nan; I don't know how you can do anythin' but hate me.
But you ain't goin' to have no new reason for doin' it.

I'm goin' to be different ev'ry way from what I was." "I hope so," said Mrs.Kimper, releasing herself from her husband's arms and taking up the cards again.