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The co't air on hand to perform the solemn ceremony of marri'ge, thus fixin' things up and enablin' the parties in the case to resume the honour'ble and elevatin' state of mattermony which they desires. The fee fur performin' said ceremony will be, in this case, to wit, five dollars." Ariela caught the gleam of promise in his words. Swiftly her hand went to her bosom.
He sat down in the door and began to loosen a shoestring. "We mout as well go down to Uncle Ziah's," decided Ransie, "and spend the night." He climbed into the cart on one side, and Ariela climbed in on the other. Obeying the flap of his rope, the little red bull slowly came around on a tack, and the cart crawled away in the nimbus arising from its wheels.
"Be kind o' lonesome in the old cabin to-night, Ranse," he said. Ransie Bilbro stared out at the Cumberlands, clear blue now in the sunlight. He did not look at Ariela. "I 'low it might be lonesome," he said; "but when folks gits mad and wants a divo'ce, you can't make folks stay." "There's others wanted a divo'ce," said Ariela, speaking to the wooden stool.
"Ariela Bilbro," he asked, in official tones, "how much did you 'low would be good and sufficient ali-money in the case befo' the co't." "I 'lowed," she answered, "fur the shoes and all, to say five dollars. That ain't much fur ali-money, but I reckon that'll git me to up brother Ed's." "The amount," said the Justice, "air not onreasonable.
"I don't know as anybody's a hound dog," said Ransie, in a martyr's voice, "fur to not want to say good-bye 'less you air so anxious to git away that you don't want me to say it." Ariela was silent. She folded the five-dollar bill and her decree carefully, and placed them in the bosom of her dress. Benaja Widdup watched the money disappear with mournful eyes behind his spectacles.
Ariela caught Ransie's arm. Did those words mean that she must lose him now when they had just learned the lesson of life? "But the co't air prepared," went on the Justice, "fur to remove the disabilities set up by the decree of divo'ce.
Herein fail not, so help you God. Benaja Widdup, justice of the peace in and for the county of Piedmont, State of Tennessee." The Justice was about to hand one of the documents to Ransie. The voice of Ariela delayed the transfer. Both men looked at her. Their dull masculinity was confronted by something sudden and unexpected in the woman. "Judge, don't you give him that air paper yit.
Ransie Bilbro and his wife listened to his reading of the document that was to give them freedom: "Know all men by these presents that Ransie Bilbro and his wife, Ariela Bilbro, this day personally appeared before me and promises that hereinafter they will neither love, honour, nor obey each other, neither for better nor worse, being of sound mind and body, and accept summons for divorce according to the peace and dignity of the State.
Her soul peeped out once through her impassive face, hallowing it. "Them hounds shan't pester you no more," said Ransie. "I reckon I been mean and low down. You wind that clock, Ariela." "My heart hit's in that cabin, Ranse," she whispered, "along 'ith you. I ai'nt a-goin' to git mad no more. Le's be startin', Ranse, so's we kin git home by sundown."
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