About five o'clock
I did n't ask no questions , but it was plain as day that she had jerked up her tie-rope ; an ' the next time Cast Steel used the spurs he was goin ' to be dumped off an ' she was goin ' to flit the trail for Never-again . I did n't blame her a mite ; an ' though I did n't pester her with queries nor smother her with advice nor sicken her with consolation nor madden her with pity , I did give her the man-to-man look , an ' she knew ` at all she had to do was to issue orders . It was that very afternoon that she started to correctin ' my talk an ' stimulatin ' my ambition , an ' tellin ' me about it never bein ' too late to mend ; an ' while I could n't quite decide just what she was drivin ' at I saw that when she found she could n't trust her cinches any longer we was both goin ' to jump together . About five o'clock she put her hand on my shoulder an ' sez : `` We 've been mighty good pals , Happy Hawkins ; an ' while you ai n't parlor-broke nor city-wise , any time ` at anybody counts on you they do n't have to count over . '' She walked softly out o ' the office , an ' I sat until it was long after dark . I could n't believe ` at she was desperate enough to marry me ; I could see the gulf between us plain enough , an ' the higher you are the plainer you can see the difference ; but I could see that unless Jabez changed his ways , why , the oldest man the ' was could n't tell how far Barbie would go . I did n't think a bit of myself , I can say that much ; all I looked at was what would make her the happiest , an ' she was welcome to take my life any way she wanted .