#AG  ,JOHN ,MANLY'S ,TALK

  ,! RE/ ( \R J\RNEY 0 V EASY1 &A LL AF
SUNSET WE R1*$ ! H\SE ( MY MA/]'S FR4
,WE 7 TAK5 96A CL1N1 SNUG /A#2 "! 0 A
K9D COA*MAN1 :O MADE U V -=TA#1 & :O
SEEM$ 6?9K A GD D1L ( ,JAMES :5 HE HE>D
AB ! FIRE4
  8,"! IS "O ?+ Q CLE>1 "Y MAN10 HE SD1
8YR HORSES "K :O !Y C TRU/2 X IS "O (!
H>DE/ ?+S 9 ! _W 6GET HORSES \ (A /A# :5
"! IS EI FIRE OR FLOOD4 ,I DON'T "K :Y
!Y WON'T -E \1 B !Y WON'T -- N "O 9
TW5TY40
  ,WE /OPP$ TWO OR ?REE "DS AT ? PLACE &
!N RETURN$ HOME4 ,ALL W5T WELL ON !
J\RNEY2 WE 7 GLAD 6BE 9 \R [N /A# AG1 &
,JOHN 0 EQU,Y GLAD 6SEE U4

,2F HE & ,JAMES LEFT U =! NI<T ,JAMES
  SD1
8,I WOND] :O IS -+ 9 MY PLACE40

  8,LL ,JOE ,GRE5 AT ! LODGE10 SD ,JOHN4
  8,LL ,JOE ,GRE56 :Y1 HE'S A *60
          ,JOHN ,MANLY'S ,TALK
  8,HE IS F\RTE5 &A HALF10 SD ,JOHN4
  8,B HE IS S* A LL *AP60
  8,YES1 HE IS SMALL1 B HE IS QK &
WILL+1 & K9D-HE>T$1 TOO1 & !N HE WI%ES V
M* 6-E1 & 8 "F WD L X2 & ,I "K ! MA/] WD
L 6GIVE HM ! *.E4 ,HE SD IF ,I ?"\ HE WD
N D HE WD LOOK \ =A BI7] BOY2 B ,I SD ,I
0 Q AGREEA# 6TRY HM = SIX WEEKS40
  8,SIX WEEKS60 SD ,JAMES2 8:Y1 X W 2
SIX MON?S 2F HE C 2 ( M* USE6 ,X W MAKE
Y A D1L ( "W1 ,JOHN40

8,WELL10 SD ,JOHN )A LAU<1 8"W & ,I >E V
  GD FRS2
,I N"E 0 AFRAID ( "W YET40

  8,Y >E A V GD MAN10 SD ,JAMES4 8,I WI%
,I MAY "E 2 L Y40
  8,I DON'T (T5 SP1K ( MYF10 SD ,JOHN1
8B Z Y >E GO+ AWAY F U \ 96! _W 6%IFT =
YRF ,I'LL J TELL Y H[ ,I LOOK ON ^! ?+S4
,I 0 J Z OLD Z ,JOSEPH :5 MY "F & "M DI$
(! FEV] )9 T5 "DS ( EA* O!R1 & LEFT ME &
MY CRIPPLE SI/] ,NELLY AL"O 9 ! _W1 )\T
          ,JOHN ,MANLY'S ,TALK
A REL,N T WE CD LOOK 6= HELP4 ,I 0 A
F>M]'S BOY1 N E>N+ 5 6KEEP MYF1 M* LESS
BO? ( U1 & %E M/ H G"O 6! "WH\SE B = \R
MI/RESS 7,NELLY CALLS H] H] ANGEL1 & %E
HAS GD "R 6D S74 ,%E W5T & HIR$ A ROOM =
H] ) OLD ,WID[ ,MALLET1 & %E GAVE H]
KNITT+ & NE$LE"W :5 %E 0 A# 6D X2 & :5
%E 0 ILL %E S5T H] D9N]S & _M NICE1
-=TA# ?+S1 & 0 L A "M 6H]4 ,!N ! MA/] HE
TOOK ME 96! /A# "U OLD ,NORMAN1 !
COA*MAN T 0 !N4 ,I _H MY FOOD AT ! H\SE
& MY B$ 9 ! L(T1 &A SUIT ( CLO!S1 & ?REE
%ILL+S A WEEK1 S T ,I CD HELP ,NELLY4
,!N "! 0 ,NORMAN2 HE MI<T H TURN$ R.D &
SD AT 8 AGE HE CD N 2 TR\#D )A RAW BOY F
! PL[-TAIL1 B HE 0 L A "F 6ME1 & TOOK NO
5D ( PA9S ) ME4 ,:5 ! OLD MAN DI$ "S
YE>S AF ,I /EPP$ 96HIS PLACE1 & N[ (
C\RSE ,I H TOP WAGES1 & C LAY 0=A RA9Y
"D OR A SUNNY "D1 Z X MAY HAPP51 &
,NELLY IS Z HAPPY Z A BIRD4 ,S Y SEE1
,JAMES1 ,I AM N ! MAN T %D TURN UP 8
NOSE AT A LL BOY & VEX A GD1 K9D MA/]4
,NO1 NO6 ,I % MISS Y V M*1 ,JAMES1 B WE
          ,JOHN ,MANLY'S ,TALK
% PULL "?1 & "!'S NO?+ L DO+ A K9D;S :5
'TIS PUT 9 YR WAY1 & ,I AM GLAD ,I C D
X40

8,!N10 SD ,JAMES1 8Y DON'T HOLD ) T
  SAY+1
,8,"EYBODY LOOK AF HMF1 & TAKE C>E (
  NUMB] "O'80

  8,NO1 9DE$10 SD ,JOHN1 8": %D ,I &
,NELLY H BE5 IF MA/] & MI/RESS & OLD
,NORMAN _H ONLY TAK5 C>E ( NUMB] "O8
,:Y1 %E 9 ! "WH\SE & ,I HOE+ TURNIPS6
,": WD ,BLACK ,B1UTY & ,G+] H BE5 IF Y
_H ONLY ?"\ ( NUMB] "O8 :Y1 ROA/$ 6D1?6
,NO1 ,JIM1 NO6 T IS A SELFI%1 H1!NI%
SAY+1 :O"E USES X2 & ANY MAN :O ?9KS HE
HAS NO?+ 6D B TAKE C>E ( NUMB] "O1 :Y1
X'S A P;Y B :AT HE _H BE5 DR[N$ L A
PUPPY OR A KITT51 2F HE GOT 8 EYES OP52
T'S :AT ,I ?9K10 SD ,JOHN1 )A V DECID$
J]K ( 8 H1D4
  ,JAMES LAU<$ AT ?2 B "! 0 A ?ICK;S 9 8
VOICE :5 HE SD1 8,Y H BE5 MY BE/ FR
          ,JOHN ,MANLY'S ,TALK
EXCEPT MY "M2 ,I HOPE Y WON'T =GET ME40

8,NO1 LAD1 NO60 SD ,JOHN1 8& IF "E ,I C
  D Y A GD TURN
,I HOPE Y WON'T =GET ME40

  ,! NEXT "D ,JOE CAME 6! /A#S 6LE>N ALL
HE CD 2F ,JAMES LEFT4 ,HE LE>N$ 6SWEEP !
/A#1 6BR+ 9 ! /RAW & HAY2 HE 2GAN 6CL1N
! H>;S1 & HELP$ 6WA% ! C>RIAGE4 ,Z HE 0
Q TOO %ORT 6D ANY?+ 9 ! WAY ( GROOM+
,G+] & ME1 ,JAMES TAU<T HM ^U ,M]RYLEGS1
= HE 0 6H FULL *>GE ( HM1 "U ,JOHN4 ,HE
0 A NICE LL B"R FELL[1 & ALW CAME :I/L+
6HIS "W4
  ,M]RYLEGS 0 A GD D1L PUT \ AT 2+
8MAUL$ AB10 Z HE SD1 80A BOY :O KNEW
NO?+20 B T[>D ! 5D (! SECOND WEEK HE
TOLD ME 3FID5TI,Y T HE ?"\ ! BOY WD TURN
\ WELL4
,AT LA/ ! "D CAME :5 ,JAMES _H 6L1VE U2
*E];L Z HE ALW WAS1 HE LOOK$ Q D[N-HE>T$
T MORN+4
  8,Y SEE10 HE SD 6,JOHN1 8,I AM L1V+ A
          ,JOHN ,MANLY'S ,TALK
GRT D1L 2H2 MY "M & ,BETSY1 & Y1 &A GD
MA/] & MI/RESS1 & !N ! HORSES1 & MY OLD
,M]RYLEGS4 ,AT ! NEW PLACE "! W N 2 A
S\L T ,I % "K4 ,IF X 7 N T ,I % GET A
HI<] PLACE1 & 2 A# 6HELP MY "M BETT]1 ,I
DON'T ?9K ,I %D H MADE UP MY M9D 6X2 X
IS A R1L P9*1 ,JOHN40
  8,AY1 ,JAMES1 LAD1 S X IS2 B ,I %D N
?9K M* ( Y IF Y CD L1VE YR HOME =! F/ "T
& N FEEL X4 ,*E] UP1 Y'LL MAKE FRS "!2 &
IF Y GET ON WELL1 Z ,I AM SURE Y W1 X W
2 A F9E ?+ = YR "M1 & %E W 2 PR\D 5 T Y
H GOT 96S* A GD PLACE Z T40
  ,S ,JOHN *E]$ HM UP1 B E "O 0 SORRY
6LOSE ,JAMES2 Z = ,M]RYLEGS1 HE P9$ AF
HM = S"EAL "DS1 & W5T Q (F 8 APPETITE4
,S ,JOHN TOOK HM \ S"EAL MORN+S )A L1D+
RE91 :5 HE EX]CIS$ ME1 &1 TROTT+ &
GALLOP+ 0MY SIDE1 GOT UP ! LL FELL['S
_SS AG1 & HE 0 SOON ALL "R4
  ,JOE'S "F WD (T5 -E 9 & GIVE A LL
HELP1 Z HE "U/OOD ! "W2 & ,JOE TOOK A
GRT D1L ( PA9S 6LE>N1 & ,JOHN 0 Q
5C\RAG$ AB HM4