"_You're_ a gentleman,
_any_way."
The hardened offenders on the platform laughed, but Lemuel said
simply, "You're quite welcome."
"Why, land's sakes!" shouted the girl. "Well, if 'tain't you!
S'tira!" she exclaimed to her companion in utter admiration. Then
she added to Lemuel, "Why, I didn't s'pose but what you'd a' be'n
back home long ago. Well, I _am_ glad. Be'n in Boston ever
since? Well, I want to know!"
The conductor had halted his car for the girls to get off, but, as
he remarked with a vicious jerk at his bell-strap, he could not keep
his car standing there while a woman was asking about the folks, and
the horses started up and left Lemuel behind. "Well, there!" said
'Manda Grier. "'F I hain't made you lose your car! I never see folks
like some them conductors."
"Oh, I guess I can walk the rest of the way," said Lemuel, his face
bright with a pleasure visible in the light of the lamp that brought
out Statira Dudley's smiles and the forward thrust of 'Manda Grier's
whopper-jaw as they turned toward the pavement together.
"Well, I guess 'f I've spoke about you once, I have a hundred times,
in the last six weeks. I always told S'tira you'd be'n sure to turn
up b'fore this 'f you'd be'n in Boston all the time; 'n' 't I
guessed you'd got a disgust for the place, 'n' 't you wouldn't want
to see it again for _one_ while.
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