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She asked for a pencil causing confusion to the little figures and delay to the big finger and, while she waited, wrote her name. "A good, sensible move," she thought, as she signed. When Affer gave her the rate, thrusting finger and figures jointly beneath the bars, solicitous of his own accuracy, Mary filed her message. It was to John Blood, and it read: "Be sure you tie his tag on him good."
The Express would be due at the "draw" at eight-thirty eight-thirty-three, Affer told her when he came back, "washed up." Mary watched the clock. She had not milked or fed the cows before she went, because she had thought that he would like to watch the milking, and it would be something for him to do on that first evening.
I done don't know just who dey am fer shure, cause dey don't stay long no more. I reckon dey can't abide dat ghost, sah, an' de field han's dey won't stay on de place at all affer dark." "The overseer and housekeeper then are newly employed?" "Dem am de fac's, sah. Deh ain't been dar no time at all, an' I reckon as how dey won't stay long, though de niggers say de oberseer am a hell ob a man."
De othah house slave bury the valables in de groun so de soldiers couldn fine em." "One of the house slaves was allus havin her man comin to see her, so one day affer he lef, when I was makin fun and laughin at her de mistress she say, 'Why you picken on her? I say, dat man comin here all the time hangin round, why doan he marry her."
"Idaho," she answered the man's question, flushing at her omission. While the man, Affer by name, laboriously looked it up, covering incredible little dirty figures with an incredibly big dirty forefinger, Mary stood staring at the list of names tacked below the dog-eared Christmas Notice. She remembered that she had not yet signed it herself.
"I do," said Budge. "Lots." "I don't," said Toddie. "More help I getsh, the worse fings is. Guesh I'll do fings all alone affer thish." "I know what to say to the Lord to-night, Aunt Alice," said Budge. "Dear little boy," said Mrs. Burton, "go on." "Dear Lord," said Budge, "we do have the awfullest times when we try to make other folks happy.
"It was a good move," she insisted to herself, as she went out into the empty street again. "You got a merry Christmas without no odds of the paper or me either," Affer called after her; but she did not answer save with her "Thank you, Mr. Affer." "Why do they all pretend to think it's so fine for me?" she wondered. "To cheer me up, I guess," she thought grimly.
Mike looked all about for some evidence of the children or elders, but not a sign or sound was to be heard except the strange cracklings of forest silences. Mike gave a shrill whistle to call anyone who had strayed close by, but no one answered except Babs who was suddenly awakened from her nap. "O-oh, Mike! Did oo know I is losted affer oo?" said she, rubbing her eyes with her mittened hands.
"It's no good mak' fight wit' lesser dan two people. You've tol' me dat you are gentleman. Wal, I ain' nobody but trapper an' trader, but I don' spoil de name of no good girl, an' I don' quarrel in presence of lady, so mebbe, affer all, dere's mistak' somew'ere, an' I'm gentleman mese'f 'stead of you." "Why, you aren't really angry, Lieutenant?" mocked Necia.
"Have you heard the news from the creeks?" "No." "Your claims are blanks; your men have quit." The Frenchman shook his head sadly, then smiled a wistful little smile. "Wal, it's better I lose dan you or Necia; I ain' de lucky kin', dat's all; an', affer all, w'at good to me is riche gol'-mine? I ain' got no use for money any more."
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