“Yes, sir,” I said. “I’ve been studyin’ about it, but the fact is I can’t make up my mind. It ain’t that she’s a sinner, because she’s one of the quality an’ they got their own laws and rules and I don’t have to bother with ‘em. But I’m afraid marryin’ her might interfere with my work. Y’see, I got my job to do, Rose; I got to go on bein’ High Sheriff, the highest legal authority in Potts County, this place that’s the world to most people here, because they never see nothin’ else. I just got to be High Sheriff, because I’ve been peccul-yarly an’ singularly fitted for it, and I ain’t allowed to give it up. Every now an’ then, I think I’m goin’ to get out of it, but always the thoughts are put in my head and the words in my mouth to hold me in my place. I got to be it, Rose. I got to be High Sheriff of Potts County forever an’ ever. I got to go on an’ on, doin’ the Lord’s work; and all he does is the pointin’ Rose, all He does is pick out the people an’ I got to exercise His wrath on ‘em. And I’ll tell you a secret, Rose, they’s plenty of times when I don’t agree with Him at all. But I got nothing to say about it. I’m the High Sheriff of Potts County, an’ I ain’t supposed to do nothing that really needs doing, nothin’ that might jeopardize my job. All I can do is follow the pointin’ of the Lord’s finger, striking down the pore sinners that no one gives a good god-dang about. Like I say, I’ve tried to get out of it; I’ve figured on runnin’ away and stayin’ away. But I can’t, and I know I’ll never be able to. I got to keep on like I’m doin’ now, and I’m afraid Amy would never understand that or put up with it. So I misdoubt I’ll be marryin’ her.”

Rose gazed at me in the mirror. She studied me for a long time, puzzled, angry, frightened, and then she shrugged and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, brother!” she said. “What a bull artist!”

“Now, god-dang it, Rose,” I said. “You just think about it a little and it’ll make plenty of sense for you. Ain’t it logical that I should appear here in Potts County, which is just about as close to the asshole of creation as you can get without havin’ a finger snapped off? And don’t I have to be just another fella— just a man, like I was the first time—and don’t I have to act like one, just the same as anyone else? When in Potts County, do what the Potts County folks do, like the fella says. An’ if you want to promote anyone to glory, why do it privately, because people want logical explanations for everything, particularly for the miracle of promotin’ people to glory.”