Wa'al, she stood him six or seven year, an' then she run off." "With another man ?" queried the widow in an awed voice.

Aunt Polly nodded assent with compressed lips.
"Yes'm," she went on, "she left him an' went out West somewhere, an' that was the last of _her_; an' when her two boys got old enough to look after themselves a little, they quit him too, an' they wa'n't no way growed up neither.

Wa'al, the long an' the short on't was that 'Lish got goin' down hill ev'ry way, health an' all, till he hadn't nothin' left but his disposition, an' fairly got onter the town.

The' wa'n't nothin' for it but to send him to the county house, onless somebody 'd s'port him.

Wa'al, the committee knew Dave was his brother, an' one on 'em come to see him to see if he'd come forwud an' help out, an' he seen Dave right here in this room, an' Dave made me stay an' hear the hull thing.
Man's name was Smith, I remember, a peaked little man with long chin whiskers that he kep' clawin' at with his fingers.