ors
were closed; she went to the tavern, but he was not to be seen; and she
walked along the principal streets, where sometimes the young men
strolled after tea. There she met a negro woman, who suggested that he
might be at the Gaither Place. "Humph!" snorted Rhody, "how come dat
ain't cross my mind? But ef he's dar dis night, ef he run ter dat gal
when he in trouble, I better be layin' off ter cook some weddin'
doin's."

There wasn't a backyard in the town that Rhody didn't know as well as
she knew her own, and she stood on no ceremony in entering any of them.
She went to the Gaither Place, swung back the gate, shutting it after
her with a bang, and stalked into the kitchen as though it belonged to
her. At the moment there was no one in sight but Mandy, the house-girl,
a bright and good-looking mulatto.

"Why, howdy, Miss Rhody!" she exclaimed, in a voice that sounded like a
flute. "What wind blowed you in here?"

"Put down dem dishes an' wipe yo' han's," said Rhody, by way of reply.
The girl silently complied, expressing no surprise and betraying no
curiosity. "Now, den, go in de house, an' ax ef Paul Tomlin is in dar,"
commanded Rhody. "Ef he is des tell 'im dat Mammy Rhody want ter see
'im."

"I hope dey ain't nobody dead," suggested Mandy with a musical laugh.
"I'm lookin' out for all sorts er trouble, because I've had mighty funny
dreams for three nights han'-runnin'. Look like I can see blood. I wake
up, I do, cryin' an' feelin' tired out like de witches been ridin' me.
Then I drop off to sleep, an' there's the blood, plain as my han'."

She went on in the house and Rhody followed close at her heels. She was
determined to see Paul if she could. She was very willing for Silas
Tomlin to be drawn through a hackle; she was willing to see murder done
if the whites were to be the victims; but Paul--well, according to her
view, Paul was one of a thousand. She had given him suck; she had
fretted and worried about him for twenty years; and she couldn't break
off her old habits all at once. She had listened to and indorsed the
incendiary doctrines of the radical emissary who pretended to be
representing the government; she had wept and shouted over the strenuous
pleadings of the Rev. Jeremiah; but all these things were wholly apart
from Paul. And if she had had the remotest idea that they affected his
interests or his future, she would have risen in the church and
denounced the carpet-bagger and his scalawag associa