"Rachel, say, _will_ you be my wife?"
At this moment Sam came forward. His face was pale, and he trembled.
"No, Rachel," said he, "don't be his wife! Be mine! I haven't treated
you right, I know I haven't; but I love you, you don't know how much!
The very way you have tried to keep me off has made me love you!"
"Sam! stop!" cried his mother, in a rage. "What do you mean? You _know_
you won't marry that girl!"
"Mother," exclaimed Sam, "you don't know anything about her! She is
worth every other girl in the place, and handsomer than all of them put
together!"
"Sam!" began Miss Sarah.
"Now, Sarah, you stop!" cried he. "I've begun, and now I'll _tell_. At
first I teased her for fun. Then I watched her to see how she bore
everything so well. And while I was watching, I--before I knew it--I
began to love her. You may talk, if you want to; but I shall never _be_
anybody, if she won't have me!"
"Stage coming!" said a little boy, running in.