“You are certainly a very good man, Dr. Campbell, I certainly do feel that more every day I see you.  Dr. Campbell, I sure do want to be friends with a good man like you, now I know you.  You certainly, Dr. Campbell, never do things like other men, that’s always ugly for me.  Tell me true, Dr. Campbell, how you feel about being always friends with me.  I certainly do know, Dr. Campbell, you are a good man, and if you say you will be friends with me, you certainly never will go back on me, the way so many kinds of them do to every girl they ever get to like them.  Tell me for true, Dr. Campbell, will you be friends with me.”

“Why, Miss Melanctha,” said Campbell slowly, “why you see I just can’t say that right out that way to you.  Why sure you know Miss Melanctha, I will be very glad if it comes by and by that we are always friends together, but you see, Miss Melanctha, I certainly am a very slow-minded quiet kind of fellow though I do say quick things all the time to everybody, and when I certainly do want to mean it what I am saying to you, I can’t say things like that right out to everybody till I know really more for certain all about you, and how I like you, and what I really mean to do better for you.  You certainly do see what I mean, Miss Melanctha.”  “I certainly do admire you for talking honest to me, Jeff Campbell,” said Melanctha.  “Oh, I am always honest, Miss Melanctha.  It’s easy enough for me always to be honest, Miss Melanctha.  All I got to do is always just to say right out what I am thinking.  I certainly never have got any real reason for not saying it right out like that to anybody.”

They sat together, very silent.  “I certainly do wonder, Miss Melanctha,” at last began Jeff Campbell, “I certainly do wonder, if we know very right, you and me, what each other is really thinking.  I certainly do wonder, Miss Melanctha, if we know at all really what each other means by what we are always saying.”  “That certainly do mean, by what you say, that you think I am a bad one, Jeff Campbell,” flashed out Melanctha.  “Why no, Miss Melanctha, why sure I don’t mean any thing like that at all, by what I am saying to you.  You know well as I do, Miss Melanctha, I think better of you every day I see you, and I like to talk with you all the time now, Miss Melanctha, and I certainly do think we both like it very well when we are together, and it seems to me always more, you are very good and sweet always to everybody.  It only is, I am really so slow-minded in my ways, Miss Melanctha, for all I talk so quick to everybody, and I don’t like to say to you what I don’t know for very sure, and I certainly don’t know for sure I know just all what you mean by what you are always saying to me.  And you see, Miss Melanctha, that’s what makes me say what I was just saying to you when you asked me.”

“I certainly do thank you again for being honest to me, Dr. Campbell,” said Melanctha.  “I guess I leave you now, Dr. Campbell.  I think I go in the other room and rest a little.  I leave you here, so perhaps if I ain’t here you will maybe sleep and rest yourself a little.  Good night now, Dr. Campbell, I call you if I need you later to help me, Dr. Campbell, I hope you rest well, Dr. Campbell.”