.

you didn't mean it!" "Didn't I ?" bitterly.

"Humph!" Seth breathed heavily, started to speak once more, closed his lips on the words, rose, walked away a few paces, returned, and sat down.
"John Brown," he said, solemnly, "if you're jokin', the powers forgive you, for I won't.

If you ain't, I--I.

.