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Esther's leaned closer to me again.  "I remember his exact words.  He said Whichever you want, but you don't actually need to, cause it won't be much heavier with your few sacks of vegetables."  She put both of her hands over her heart.  "Ain't that romantic?"

"At first that gal pulled that cart from in front, but after a bit she moved to the back and helped me push.  She wanted to be up close to me don't you see."

"Well, actually, it seemed to me that it worked better that way."

"She pushed good, too, as one can imagine from such a big gal, and yet she still had enough breath left to empty her heart to me."

"We mostly talked about the weather, Mr. Jefferson."

"Well, after she emptied her heart to me, we was at the top of the highest hill before either of us knew it.  It seemed like the time had been cut in half.  After that we kept to the plan and that fat gal followed me as I pushed that cart with them eggs and hidden produce into the city.  None of them police said nothin' to me, so out of sight I give her the sacks, but while she was thinkin' of some way to tell me how much she loved me..."

She slapped his arm again.

"Ouch, woman."  He rubbed his arm.  "Well, on that first day we went to town together, a group of people goin' some place or other come rushin' by and we was separated and I had to get my cart out of there before they turned it over."

"So that was the end of your acquaintance?" she asked leadingly. 

"Well, the fact that she left without tellin' me of her love for me got to me, but then I more or less forgot about her.  Like I said, she wadn't nothin' to write home about."  He braced for the expected attack, but again none came.  "She was a big boned gal with a wide face."

"My best qualities was a good, true heart and untiring industry," she said still knitting.

"These qualities, however, did not immediately stand out and besides they are ones that most young men are not straight away attracted to."

"How did the courtship reach fruition?"

"Fru-what?" asked Jeremias.

"How did you meet again?"

"Well, the next Tuesday, as I was a pushing my cart up that same hill, it again seemed very heavy to me.  I couldn't believe what a difference it made to have two pushing instead of one.  I wondered if she would be there..."

"He prayed for it to be so is what he done."

"Well, I would have gladly toted your little sacks if you'd help push again.  There ain't no worse stretch of road between here and town."

"And she was there?"

"Oh, sure.  She was a sittin' there just like the week before, but this time she wadn't cryin'."

"He asked me if I had something for him to sneak into town, even though the sack was sittin' right beside me."

"If the truth be known, I thought the cart had gotten lighter just from seeing that gal."

"That's when I made my move."  Esther laughed along with Jeremias.  "I told him I would have been there with or without my sacks, since I didn't get a chance last week to thank him and asked if I owed him anything."