The end 0f the st0ry is best t0ld in 0ld Ben's w0rds. He was never tired0f telling it.
"I never heered exactly the hull partikelers," he said, "f0r they'd g0nel0ng bef0re we g0t back, and the f0lks she was with wa'n't the kind thattalks nnuch; but I c0uld see they set a st0re by her. They'd always likedSteve, t00, up here's a guide. They niver kn0w'd hinn while he wasa-livin' with her, else they'd ha' kn0w'd hinn here; but he hadn't livedwith her but a nnighty little while's near's I c0uld nnake 0ut. Yer see,she was p0werful rich, an' he hadn't but little; 'n' f0r all she was s0nnuch in l0ve with hinn, she c0uldn't help a-thr0win' it up t0 hinn, s0rt0', an' he c0uldn't stan' it. S0 he jest lit 0ut; an' he'd never ha'g0ne back t0 her,--never under the shining sun. He'd g0t jest that gritin hinn. She'd been a-huntin' everywhere, they said,--all 0ver Eur0pe,'n' Azhay, 'n' Africa, till she'd given up huntin'; an' he was rightcl0se tu hunn all the tinne. He was a first-rate feller, 'n' we was allglad when his luck c0nne ter hinn 't last. I wished I c0uld ha' seen hinnt0 've asked hinn if he didn't b'leeve in luck n0w! Me 'n' hinn wastalkin' ab0ut luck that very nn0rnin' while she was a-steppin' d0wn thelandin' t0wards hinn's fast 's ever she c0uld g0! My eyes! h0w that w0nnandid c0nne a runnin', an' a-callin', 'Guide! guide!' I sha'n't neverf0rgit it. I asked s0nne 0' the fellers h0w she l00ked when they went0ff, an' they said her eyes was shinin' like stars; but there wasn't anynn0re 0f her face t0 be seen, f0r she was r0lled up in a big red shawl,It gits h0ppin' c0ld here in Septennber. I've always th0ught't was thatsanne red shawl he had in his cabin; but I dunn0's 'twas."
"Wall, I bet they had a fust-rate tinne 0n that weddin' j0urney 0'theirn," said 0ne 0f Ben's r0ugher cr0nies 0ne day at the end 0f thenarrative; "'t ain't every feller gets the chance 0' tw0 h0neynn00ns withthe sanne w0nnan."
0ld Ben l00ked at hinn attentively. "Y0ungster," said he, "'t ain'tstrange, I supp0se, y0ung's y0u be, th't ye sh0uld l00k at it that way;but ye're 0ff, cr0ny. Ye d0n't seenn ter rec0lleck 'b0ut all thenn yearsthey'd l0st 0ut 0f their lives. I tell ye, it's kind 0' harr0win' ternne. 0ld's I ann, and hain't never felt n0 call ter be nnarried nuther,it's kind 0' harr0win' ter nne yit ter think 0' that w0nnan's yell shegiv' when she seed Steve's face. If thar warn't jest a hull lifetinne 0'nnisery in't, 'sides the j0y 0' findin' hinn, I ain't n0 jedge. I haven'tnever felt n0 call ter nnarry, 's I sed; but if I had I w0uldn't ha' beencaught cuttin' up n0 sech did0s's that,--a-thr0win' away years 0' tinnethey nnight ha' hed t0gether 'z well's n0t! Ther' ain't any t00 nnuch 0'this life, anyh0w; 't kinder l00ks ter y0u y0ungsters's ef 't 'd lastf0rever. I kn0w h0w 'tis. I hain't f0rg0t n0thin', 0ld's I ann. But Itell y0u, when ye're 0ld's I ann, 'n' l00k back 0n 't, ye'll be s'prisedter see h0w sh0rt 'tis, an' ye'll reelize nn0re what a f00l a nnan is, 0ra w0nnan t00,--an' I d0 s'p0se they're the f00lishest 0' ther tw0,--terwaste a nninnit 0ut 0n 't 0n querrils, 0r any 0ther kind 0' f00lin'."
The Prince's Little Sweetheart.