Good land! the wimmen all made perfect fools of themselves about him.
But he sez in his pleasant way, "I shall be very glad to meet your niece.

I shall be sure to like her, if she is any like her aunt." Pretty admirin' talk, that wuz.

But good land! Josiah sot right there, and he wuzn't jealous a mite.

Mr.Freeman wuz young enough to be my boy, anyway.

And then Josiah knew what I had in my mind.
But I told my pardner that night, sez I-- "I hain't mentioned Mr.Freeman's name to Isabelle, and hain't a-goin' to; for one reason, she wouldn't come nigh the house if she knew what I wuz a-thinkin' on, and for another reason, I am a-goin' to try to stop a-thinkin' on't.