e about that on Sunday."

Madame started and smiled. "You h-asked? An' fo' w'at?"

The transient air of maturity failed, and Ramsey's shoulders went up in
her more usual manner.

The senator had his question: "What did the judge say?"

"The judge says, where the slave seems to be white the owner must prove
she ain't--prove she isn't; but the burden, he says, of getting the case
into court----"

"Ah!" The senator was relieved. "Practically the same thing. For no
slave can get a case into court without white help, and no decent white
man will step between an owner and a slave who confesses to any African
blood."

"No-c'ommunity would ssstand it," said the general.

"Now," pursued the senator, "a claim based on pure white blood and
charging some palpable mistake or fraud would be different. That would
invite a community's sympathy and support. I've heard of such cases." He
faced Ramsey again, whose smile implied a query in waiting.

Madame had handed the document to the senator. It was short. He read it
in a glance or two and, refolding it, addressed Ramsey again: "This
slave girl can neither be set free nor sold, for she's yours, and you're
a minor. She seems to have been left to you just for that."

Until her mother spoke, Ramsey was mystified by her gracious bows of
satisfaction to the senator and the general, but then she understood and
was glad. "Verrie well," said madame, "iv Phylliz be satizfi' to billong
to Ramzee----"

"She is," said Mrs. Gilmore. "She's told me so."

"Verrie well, she'll juz' billong. An'"--to the senator--"you'll tell
h-all those passenger' you h-are the fran' of my 'usban' an' fran' of
the pewblic an' you 'ave seen thad will, an' Phylliz she's h-all those
year' billong to Ramzee, an' tha'z h-all arrange' and h-every-boddie
satizfi', ondly those twin' they 'ave not hear' abboud that yet, but
you'll see them an' make them satizfi'----"

"They know," called Ramsey and "California," and the latter added to the
senator: "They've sold all claim to her, sight unseen, and have got the
money; took it from me, before witnesses." Then to the astonished matron
he added: "We can fix that in a jiffy, as slick as glass."

But there the immediate scene diverted every one; the whole group moved
to the roof's edge to see the boat land. Then, while her bells still
jingled and her wheels yeasted, the company, heart-sick of burials, fell
apart. The senator and the general, promising zealous action an