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"Funny now, I speck," said the old man, "but 'tweren't funny in dem days, en 'twouldn't be funny now ef folks know'd much 'bout de Bull-frog langwidge ez dey useter. Dat's w'at."
She turned to him with a wondering smile. "Somehow it don't make me so miserable, like it useter." Her smile passed while she looked, she caught both hands to her heaving breast and a wild intensity burned suddenly in her eyes. "Why, June!" "'Tain't nothin'," she choked out, and she turned hurriedly ahead of him down the path. Startled, Hale had dropped the crimson flower to his feet.
"Trying to let me down easy eh?" "We-ell " "It's red. Say! nobody's ever let me forget it since I could creep," declared the boy. "I useter lick all the boys I could at Number Six school, an' those that I couldn't lick I throwed stones at. For calling my hair out o' name, I mean." "I suppose being red-headed is hard," commented Nancy.
"I ain't denyin' but what she hed nat'ral feelin' fur her own chil'ren, bein' dead," said the dame who had made the unfortunate remark about the curling hair, "but Laurelia Sudley war always a contrary-minded, lackadaisical kind o' gal afore she war married, sorter set in opposition, an' now ez she ain't purty like she useter was, through cryin' her eyes out, an' gittin' sallow-complected an' bony, I kin notice her contrariousness more.
She useter slip 'roun' at night, en set on de kitchen steps, en lean up agin de do'-jamb, en run on ter herse'f wid some kine er foolishness w'at nobody couldn' make out; fer Mars Marrabo had th'eaten' ter sen' her off'n de plantation ef she say anything ter any er de yuther niggers 'bout de pine-tree.
Hit useter be a common sayin' in Jones, an' cle'r 'cross into Jasper, that pa would 'a bin a rich man an' 'a owned niggers if it hadn't but 'a bin bekase he sot his head agin stintin' of his stomach. That's what they useter say usen't they, Mingo?" "Dat w'at I year tell, Miss F'raishy sho'," Mingo assented, with great heartiness. But Mrs.
En he 'uz a fighter, too, mon, Mars Jeems wuz. Many's en many's de time," continued the old man, reflectively, "dat I hatter take'n bresh dat boy on a counter his 'buzin' en beatin' dem yuther boys. He went off dar fer ter fight, en he fit. Ole Miss useter call me up Sunday en read w'at de papers say 'bout Mars Jeems, en it ho'p 'er up might'ly. I kin see 'er des like it 'uz yistiddy.
An' then he sot out ter be mighty funny, an' mocked the way I useter call the t'other chil'n 'Fambly, sech ez 'Fambly, kem ter dinner, Fambly! 'Shet up yer cryin', Fambly! An' then he tole how I cooked gathered all sorts o' yarbs an' vegetables tergether an' sot a pot ter bile, an' whenever 'Fambly' war hongry 'Fambly' tuk a snack, an' gracefully eat out'n the pot with thar fingers.
But I've looked inter this and so far's I can see it is all right and above board. It's onusual an' I'm not bankin' much on how it'll come out, but we don't have to worry none over that. Ye'll have a captain whose got more heart than head maybe, which is diff'rent from most captains who useter sail down here." "I'm willing to take what comes." "It's the only way.
She looked at the candy man and smiled a slow smile that faded away into ennui. Instantly she knew that the game was bagged; and so quickly she wearied of the chase. She began to talk to Sidonie. "Been a fine day," said the candy man, hollowly. "First time in a month I've felt first-class. Hit it up down old Madison, hollering out like I useter. Think it'll rain to-morrow?"
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