When you go out for a ride he gives me nickels if I tell him where--" "Robert Ches--" "Oh, all right." Buddy's tone was wearily tolerant.

"A man never knows what to talk about to women, anyway.

I'd hate to be married to 'em--wouldn't you, Ford ?" "A little boy like you--" began his mother, somewhat pinker of cheeks than usual.
"I guess I'm pretty near a man, now." He turned his eyes to Ford, consciously ignoring the feminine members of his family.

"If I had a wife," he stated calmly, "I'd snub her up to a post and then I'd talk to her about anything I damn pleased!" Mrs.Kate rose up then in all the terrifying dignity of outraged motherhood, grasped Buddy by the wrist, and led him away, in the direction of the hairbrush, if one would judge by Buddy's reluctance to go.
"So you are going to climb the--Big Hill, are you ?" Miss Josephine observed, when the two were quite alone.

"It is to be hoped, Mr.
Campbell, that you won't find it as steep as it looks--from the bottom." Ford was not an adept at reading what lies underneath the speech of a woman.