"Your first step-wife?"
"Yas"m--stepped inter de place o" my fust wife. My fust wife wuz Sue, an" she wuz er good "oman, I tell you. But she liked music too well. Dar come up yere one dem yaller barbers, an" he pick er thing at her dat looked sorter like er banjo, an" she cl"ared out wid him."
"That was sad."
"Yas"m. An" den dar wuz Tildy. She wuz monst"us fine. Jest about de color o" er new saddle. I lubbed dat lady."
"What became of her?"
"Who, Tildy? Wall, er white lady come up yere an" she had er silk shawl an" da fooled roun" till da "cuzed Tildy o" stealin" it an" da sont her ter de pennytenchy."
"What, on an accusation?"
"Wall, da keep er pesterin" roun" till da proved it on her. Yas"m." He got up and slowly limped over toward her. "An" ain"t you got fifty cents you could give me fur all dis inflamation? I needs it might"ly."
"Why, didn"t you just tell me that mammy left you twenty dollars?"
"Ur--yes"m--in her will. But I got ter go an" sign de will an" dat"ll cost me fifty cents."
"That"s a peculiar sort of law."
"Yas"m. I didn"t like dat law myse"f an" I told "em ter "peal it, but da wouldn"t."
"Well," she said, arising and starting toward the house, "as you are so honest and industrious, I"ll get it for you."
He looked after her and mused. "No matter whar er "oman is when you ax her fur money, she got ter go some whar else ter git it. Huh, but deze innercent ladies is de sort dat suits me. I doan like deze ladies dat doan blebe nuthin" you say."
Mrs. Mayfield came out of the house. "Here it is," she said, giving him a piece of silver.
"Thankee, ma"m. I"s gwine pray fur you de fust chance I gits, an" it won"t be long now dat my rush is sorter ober fo" I does git er chance.
But ef you"ll jest gib me er quarter mo" I"ll leave off ever"thin" an"
pray fur you right now."
"No, that"s enough."
"Doan blebe much in pra"r, does you? Wall, I hatter make dis do."
Mrs. Mayfield stood at the gap, gazing down the road, and the old negro remarked to himself: "Dat"s de way er lady looks w"en she"s expectin" er man. Things is er gwine on roun" dis place. Dar ain"t been all dis light steppin" fur nuthin". Wush I could go somewhar an" pick me up er chunk o" er wife. It"s er gittin" erbout time fur me ter marry ag"in."
Mrs. Mayfield walked down the road, and Kintchin with an improvised tune took up the axe which Jasper had stuck into the log. But just as he was about to begin the work of grinding it, Mose Blake, shoving a wheelbarrow, came into the yard.
"Whar"s S--S--S--S--Star--"
"Talkin" ter me?"
"Ye--y--y--y--yes."
"Den why don"t you?"
"I a--a--a--am."
"You ain"t said so."
"Shut yo" b--b--b--black mouth."
"Huh, I could do dat an" den talk better den you does."
"I can b--b--b--beat you t--t--t--talkin"."
"Yas, you kin beat any pusson I eber seed."
"Don"t y--y--y--you furgit you a--a--a--ain"t nuthin" but a n--n--n--n--n.i.g.g.e.r."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "GO ON ERWAY AN" LET ME TALK TER MYSE"F. YOU KAIN"T TALK."]
"Huh, da kin tell dat by lookin" at me; but atter lookin" at you da kain"t tell whut you is. Why, you ain"t nuthin". Go on erway an" let me talk ter myse"f. You kain"t talk."
"Talk better t--t--t--t--than you k--k--kin. I could p--p--preach."
"Yes, ter deef folks. Say, you puts me in mind o" er chicken with de gapes."
"You air a f--f--f--f--"
"You needn"t try ter tell me. I knows it."
"That"s a--a--a--about all you d--d--d--d--do know. Mother sent me atter the wash k--k--k--kittle."
"She don"t need it much den. Go on erway."
"I"m goin" t--t--t--to git a g--g--gun an" come atter you."
"If you kain"t shoot it off no better"n you does yo" mouf you kain"t hurt me much."
From a corner of the fence Mose took up a wash-kettle and put it upon the wheelbarrow. "You"ll b--b--b--be dead b--b--before night. Be easier t--t--to take what I come atter than to try t--t--to tell "em w--w--what I want." As he turned his wheelbarrow about he saw Lije Peters standing in the gap. "L--l--l--look out, I"ll r--r--run over you," and he lunged forward with his load, just missing Peters, who jumping to one side cried out:
"Yes, you stuttering pig, if you can"t wheel no strai"ter than you can talk."
When Mose was gone Peters inquired of Kintchin: "Whar"s Starbuck?"
"He wuz out yander jest now an" he"ll come ez soon as he know you yere.
Whut I tell you?" he added as Jasper made his sudden appearance.
"Here, n.i.g.g.e.r," said Peters, "go on away; I want to talk to Starbuck."
Jasper told the negro to go and then he stood looking at Peters.
"I didn"t expect to see you here ag"in after what pa.s.sed the other day.
Didn"t I tell you--"