"Then _she's_ fooling."
"Nary!" Sliver grinned. "She's serious as a New England housewife in
chase of a bedbug."
Now Gordon's merry laugh rang out. "Is this leap year, or does this sort
of thing go all the time down here? Her proposal calls for a priest, I
suppose, and a marriage license?"
"Nary." Sliver grinned again. "Ladies of her class get along very nicely
without them artificial aids to marriage. All she wants is for you to
settle down here with her to housekeeping."
"Why--but--" He still half believed that Sliver was joking; but, looking
at the girl, he saw for himself the smoldering flame in her dusky eyes.
This time his laugh was a little confused. "Please tell her that I'm
dreadfully sorry, that I appreciate the high compliment, and if it
wasn't for the fact that I don't expect to stay long in this country I
would give her nice offer my most distinguished consideration."
Any further doubts that he might have entertained would have been
effectually dispersed by her dark disappointment when Sliver translated.
A touch of pity mingled with his amusement; moved him to add, "I hope
that you put it nicely."
"Sure," Sliver breezily answered. "I told her that you said for her to
go to hell."
"Oh, well"--Gordon recovered his breath again--"at least that puts the
whole business beyond further doubt."
"Don't you believe it." Sliver gave a third and last grin. "She says
that you-all kin always find her here if you happen to change your
mind."
"Now that's very nice." Really pleased under his amusement, Gordon
brought the little comedy to a graceful end. Unsnapping the leather
watch-fob that bore his initials worked in gold, he laid it in the
girl's hand. "A fellow doesn't get a proposal of marriage every day.
Tell her for a little remembrance."
"And now for another drink."
But as Sliver reached for the bottle Gordon seized his arm, and any
doubts as to his sobriety were removed then and there from the cowman's
mind. "You've had two already, and I'm not going to stand by and see you
burn your stomach out. Come on, gol darn you! or I'll hand you one."
His smiling good humor removed the offense. Nevertheless, the curious
brown specks were floating again in the blue of his eye.