stole up to Betty's room. Her well-filled purse
was the important thing; that, together with some necessary clothing,
went into a small hand-bag.

"You must carry this, Hannibal; if any one sees us leave the house
they'll think it something you are taking away," she explained. Hannibal
nodded understandingly.

"Don't you trust your niggers, Miss Betty?" he whispered as they went
from the room.

"I only trust you, dear!"

"What makes you go? Was it something that woman told you? Are they
coming after us, Miss Betty? Is it Captain Murrell?"

"Captain Murrell?" There was less of mystery now, but more of terror,
and her hand stole up to her heart, and, white and slim, rested against
the black fabric of her dress.

"Don't you be scared, Miss Betty!" said Hannibal.

They went silently from the house and again crossed the lawn to the
terrace. Under the leafy arch which canopied them there was already the
deep purple of twilight.

"Do you reckon it were Captain Murrell shot Mr. Norton, Miss Betty?"
asked Hannibal in a shuddering whisper.

"Hush--Oh, hush, Hannibal! It is too awful to even speak of--" and,
sobbing and half hysterical, she covered her face with her hands.

"But where are we going, Miss Betty?" asked the boy.

"I don't know, dear!" she had an agonizing sense of the night's approach
and of her own utter helplessness.

"I'll tell you what, Miss Betty, let's go to the judge and Mr. Mahaffy!"
said Hannibal.

"Judge Price?" She had not thought of him as a possible protector.

"Why, Miss Betty, ain't I told you he ain't afraid of nothing? We could
walk to Raleigh easy if you don't want your niggers to hook up a team
for you."

Betty suddenly remembered the carriage which had taken the judge into
town; she was sure it had not yet returned.

"We will go to the judge, Hannibal! George, who drove him into Raleigh,
has not come back; if we hurry we may meet him on the road."

Screened by the thick shadows, they passed up the path that edged the
bayou; at the head of the inlet they entered a clearing, and crossing
this they came to the corn-field which lay between the house and the
highroad. Following one of the shock rows they hurried to the mouth of
the lane.

"Hannibal, I don't want to tell the judge why I am leaving Belle
Plain--about the woman, I mean," said Betty.

"You reckon they'd kill her, don't you, Miss Betty, if they knew what
she'd done?" speculated the boy. It occurred to him that an a