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Click, click, click
went the pattens; and she did not turn her head.
She had, however, become aware before this that the driver of the
approaching gig was Giles. She had shrunk from being overtaken by
him thus; but as it was inevitable, she had braced herself up for
his inspection by closing her lips so as to make her mouth quite
unemotional, and by throwing an additional firmness into her
tread.
"Why do you wear pattens, Marty? The turnpike is clean enough,
although the lanes are muddy."
"They save my boots."
"But twelve miles in pattens--'twill twist your feet off. Come,
get up and ride with me."
She hesitated, removed her pattens, knocked the gravel out of them
against the wheel, and mounted in front of the nodding specimen
apple-tree. She had so arranged her bonnet with a full border and
trimmings that her lack of long hair did not much injure her
appearance; though Giles, of course, saw that it was gone, and may
have guessed her motive in parting with it, such sales, though
infrequent, being not unheard of in that locality.


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