ing out the back way,
planning to load his coach before hitching up.

"Miss Ann an' me is done got a invite ter a house pawty an' we air
gonter hit the pike in the cool er the mawnin'."

"Wha' you goin'?"

"Heaben when we die," was all Billy would divulge.

"Miss Milly an' Marse Bob ain't said nothin' 'bout Miss Ann leavin'.
Fac' is Miss Milly lef' word fer me ter dish up a good dinner fer Miss
Ann whilst they wa' away an' serve it on a tray bein' as she wa' all
alone."

"Well, I 'low we'll be settin' down in the dinin'-room at the house
pawty come dinner time," declared the old man, veiled insolence in his
tone.

"What I gonter tell Marse Bob an' Miss Milly when they axes wha' Miss
Ann done took herself?"

"I ain't consarned with what you tells 'em. My Miss Ann air done writ
a letter ter Miss Milly an' if you ain't got a lie handy you kin jes'
han' her the billy dux."

"I allus been holdin' ter it an' I'll give it ter you extry clarified,
you's a mean nigger man--mean an' low lifed. I axes you, politeful
like, wha' you an' Miss Ann a goin' an' all you kin give me is sass."
Aunt Em'ly was full of curiosity and was greatly irritated not to have
her curiosity satisfied. But Billy was adamant and Miss Ann more
dignified than usual, as she doled out her small tips--all the poor
old lady could afford, but presented to the servants whenever she
departed with the air of royalty.

"Well, skip-ter-ma-loo, she's gone agin!" laughed Aunt Em'ly, as she
stood with Kizzie and watched the old coach rolling down the avenue.
"I reckon Marse Bob's gonter be right riled that I can't tell him wha'
she goin' but you couldn't git nothin' outer that ol' Billy with an
ice pick. I laid off ter ax Miss Ann herself but when she come a
sailin' down the steps like she done swallowed the poker an' helt out
this here dime ter me like it wa' a dollar somehow she looked kinder
awesome an' I couldn't say nothin' but 'Thanky!' Kizzie, did you
notice which-away the coach took when they reached the pike?"

"I think it went up the road to'ds Marse Big Josh's," said Kizzie,
"but the dus' air pow'ful thick right now, owin' ter ortermobiles
goin' both ways, so I ain't quite sho'."

"I wa' pretty night certain ol' Billy p'inted his hosses' heads to'ds
Ryeville, but I ain't sho'. It air sech a misty, moisty mornin' an'
what with the dus' it air hard ter punctuate. I reckon you's right,
Kizzie, an' they's hit the pike fer Marse Big Josh's. Anyhow w