"'Ed Collier and I are good friends,' she said, 'the same as me
and you. I gave him the same answer I did you—no marrying for me. I
liked to be with Ed and talk with him. There was something mighty
pleasant to me in the thought that here was a man who never used a
knife and fork, and all for my sake.'
"'Wasn't you in love with him?' I asks, all injudicious. 'Wasn't
there a deal on for you to become Mrs. Curiosity?'
"All of us do it sometimes. All of us get jostled out of the
line of profitable talk now and then. Mame put on that little lemon
glace smile that runs between ice and sugar, and says,
much too pleasant: 'You're short on credentials for asking that
question, Mr. Peters. Suppose you do a forty-nine day fast, just to
give you ground to stand on, and then maybe I'll answ
