Chapter 4

I couldn't take it any longer. About the time we finished Ann's trainin' at shootin', I had ta ask. We wuz sittin' on the veranda in the swing after her parents had gone ta bed when I jus' couldn't hold back no longer. "Ann, I can't put it off no longer. Would ya do me the honor of bein' my wife? I know I--"

That's when she cut me off. I never did git ta finish my speech. Ann blurted right in my ear, "OH, YES! YES! YES, I'LL MARRY YA!" I swan, I was deaf on that side fer a few minutes. I didn't have no ring ta give her, which was p'robly jus' as well, since I hadn't said anythin' ta Isiah 'bout this.

She didn't give me any time ta worry 'bout no ring or bein' deaf; she proceeded ta kiss me like I don't know what, except I shore enjoyed it. When I finally could break away from the kisses long enough, I said, "I'll talk ta yer pa about this tomorrow. He's still around fer breakfast on Sundays, an' tomorrow is Sunday."

Well, I think that was the last thin' I said that night, cuz Ann never gave me a chance ta talk, again. She pulled up her shirtwaist an' stuck her nipple in my mouth. This wuzn't the first time it had happened, soz I knew I wuz s'posed ta nip an' suck, which I commenced doin' with a will. Between kissin' an' suckin' on her nipples, I had a very pleasant evenin', an' I know she did, too, cuz I wuz shore her moanin' would wake the dead.

The next mornin' at breakfast I said, "Isiah, I want ta make a formal request. Mr. Arlington, will ya consent ta me marryin' yer daughter, Ann?"

He looked at me with a big grin an' said, "Mr. Hopkins, her ma an' I would be pleased fer ya ta marry our daughter, Ann. I do have one question, though, what took ya so long?"

He an' Miz. Arlington both laughed at that an' the surprised look on my face. That's the one question I never expected.

Ann said, "See, Pa, it's jus' like I told ya an' Ma, Sam's a perfect gentleman, an' he didn't want ta take advantage of me."

I managed ta stutter out, "I figured I'd have ta argue with y'all ta convince ya ta let me marry Ann. How come ya gave in so easy?"

Isiah said, "I could tell the first day from the look on her face that Ann wanted ya, soz I started makin' inquiries 'bout ya the next mornin'. Asa Blackman was in my office that mornin', an' I mentioned ya ta him. He's much impressed with ya an' gave ya a glowin' recommendation. I checked with several other people I trust, an' they all praised ya highly. Soz I figured that Ann couldn't go wrong with marryin' ya, an' her ma an' I have just been waitin' fer ya ta pop the question."

I guess I still looked a mite confused, so Miz. Arlington said, "Sam, why do ya think we left ya on the veranda with Ann every night. We jus' wanted ta give ya a chance ta git ta know each other, an', from what Ann says, y'all shore did git ta know each other!"

I know I turned bright red at that, which cuzed more laughter at my expense, though I didn't really care. I did say, "I need ta go inta Eagle Pass ta find a ring. What's the best place ta look?"

Miz. Arlington said, "Ya jus' wait right there. I'll be right back." She got up from the table an' was gone only the time it took fer her ta walk ta her bedroom an' back. She handed me a beautiful engagement ring an' said, "Her Pa an' me want ya ta use this ring ifen ya don't mind. It belonged ta my grandma when she came over from England. We wanted ta give it ta Ann, an' we wuz waitin' fer a special occasion. I can't think of a more special occasion than this one."

I wuz speechless, again, a regular occurrence fer me, lately. While I wuz tryin' ta find my voice, Ann said, "Oh, what a thoughtful idee. I'd love ta have it, ifen ya don't mind, Sam."

Well, like I've said before, I ain't no fool, at least most of the time, an' this was one of them times when I did the right thing. I nodded my thanks ta Miz. Arlington an' slipped it on Ann's finger. She jus' beamed at me! Doggies, I couldn't of done better ifen I'd tried!

I guess I put my foot in it then, cuz I asked, "When's the weddin'?"

The conversation came ta a complete halt right then, an' I was scared that I had screwed up. Isiah sat with a bland look on his face, but Miz. Arlington an' Ann got real calculatin' expressions an' stared at each other. They stood up an' walked into the parlor.

Isiah grinned and said ta me, "Well, they'll let us know when the time comes. Don't ya worry 'bout it. The women folks will handle all the details an' give us our marchin' orders when they git it all worked out. In the meantime, ya might as well go ahead an' move yer stuff inta Ann's room, since the bed in there is bigger than the one in yer room."

I was pleased at this an' nodded my thanks. I wasn't surprised that he had given me his permission ta move in with Ann, cuz it wuzn't anything unusual in that part of Texas. Me an' Ann wuz as good as married right then, since no man would ever again have trusted my word ifen I tried ta back out of the weddin', now. He obviously knew that I wuz an honorable man, so there was nothin' more ta be said on that subject. I did shake his hand as I stood up ta go move my stuff.

That evenin' at supper, I said, "Miz. Arlington, --"

She interrupted me with, "Land sakes, Sam, I think its time that ya call me Ma or Mary, I don't care which. It seems only right, since ya're marryin' my daughter."

"OK, then, I'll call ya Ma, since I ain't had no ma fer 'bout 15 years. It's real nice ta have one, again." She beamed at that, so I guess I'd said the right thin'. Then I said, "Isiah, do ya mind ifen I call ya Pa? My pa died jus' weeks after my ma did."

He looked real pleased an' said, "I'd be right happy ifen ya want ta call me Pa." Then he got serious an' said, "I got a telegram today from Asa Blackman. He wants me ta put pressure on ya ta go ta work fer him. Jubal Atkins escaped from prison last month, an' he wants ya ta find Atkins fer him. Asa thinks ya're the only man what kin do the job an' is willin' ta pay $2,000 fer Atkins capture, dead or alive. I think he would prefer that it be dead, but that's up ta ya."

I whistled an' said, "That's a passel of money! Shore, I'll take the job, on two conditions: one, it don't interfere with the weddin', an', two, Ann agrees ta it."

Ann said, "The weddin' won't be fer six months, yet, soz that won't be a problem. I will shore miss ya, Sam, but I know that I can't tie ya ta my apron strings. Ifen ya promise ta be careful an' ta come back ta me all in one piece, it's OK with me fer ya ta go after that Jubal Atkins."

"Thank ya, Ann, Honey. I'll be OK. Jubal likes me, soz he won't do me no harm. I'll send a telegram ta Blackman tomorrow that I'll take the job."

Ann said, bold as brass, "OK, that's settled. Ya'll be leavin' pretty soon, soz I want every minute of yer time I kin git 'til then. Let's go ta bed!"

Ma an' Pa laughed, but I could tell that she wuzn't jokin'. I stood up an' he'ped her from her chair.

In the bedroom, Ann grabbed me for a kiss likely ta curl my hair. She then started ta take her clothes off, but I said, "Dearest, let me do that fer ya."

I wuzn't all that familiar with women's clothes, so I did need some help. It had been a warm day, so she was wearin' a shirtwaist an' a skirt. I unbuttoned her shirtwaist an' was thrilled by my first sight of her tits in plenty of light. Moonlight wuz the best I had available, previously, so I was captivated by the sight of the beautiful half-orbs as they were revealed to me. Her nipples and areolas were the next things ta be revealed, an' I was stunned by their pink beauty. I knew that her nipples were big, but I hadn't realized that they were nearly as big as a .44 cartridge. Man, I wuz impressed!