"Oh, this is all right. She don' know yo' in debt an' need the money."

"No, she don'."

"Would that worry her?"

"Ah reckon hit would, specially if----"

"If what?"

"You seem powerful eager to know what'll worry M'lissy."

"If ye don' know what worries people ye cain' know how to help 'em."
Pink was suavity itself. "If what?"

"Ah was goin' to say, specially 'f she knowed it was you-all Ah owed
hit to."

"Lemme tell ye somethin' right now, Bud: M'lissy wouldn' fin' everybody
clever 'nough to len' money to a no-'count feller like you. She better
like me 'f she don'."

"She don' know hit, ye see. 'N she never shall 'f Ah c'n help hit."

Pressley grunted and seemed to reflect. Then he shook his head and
muttered to himself.

"Hit might spoil the other."

"What ye say?" asked Bud.

"Nothin'. Ah'm studyin' 'bout fixin' a sort o' do' fo' here, so's the
light won' shine out none when we-uns is workin'."

"Where's the smoke goin' to?"

"They's a split in that upper rock, fur back, we c'n run a bit o' pipe
through. Leastways, they was when Ah was a kid."

"'N 's they ain' been no _con_-vulsion o' nature since that happy time,
you 'low hit's still there."

"May be filled up; 'twan' overly big. But that's easy fixed."

"Say, Pink, don' you think we'd make any money--jus' as much money--'f
we paid the tax, 'n could retail openly?"

"Paid the tax? Paid---- Fo' the Lawd's sakes! Pink Pressley payin' the
gover'men' tax!"

He gave a great burst of laughter, which he quickly strangled, looking
about suspiciously, and shook and shook with suppressed mirth. Bud
stared at him seriously, and with some offence.

"Ah don' see nothin' e'er so ludicrous about that suggestion."

"Oh, Lawd!" Pink was rocking gently from side to side. "You don'? Jus'
look yere, then. Have you-all got twenty-five dollars to pay the
Federal gover'men' fo' this privilege? 'N fifty to pay the State? 'N
fifty to pay the county? 'F you got a hundred 'n twenty-five dollars to
spen' so free, Ah'd like to see hit!"

Bud rubbed his head and said nothing.

"'N who'd ye get to go on yo' bond? Mrs. Carroll 'n Miss Sydney, Ah
s'pose! Oh, dear!"

Again he laughed, soundlessly.

"If ye go into hit so expensive, ye gotter have the plant to do a big
business, 'n where'd ye get that? 'N ye'd have to get mo' co'n 'n you
'n me c'n make ourselves, 'n that'd mean ye gotter buy hit, or rent mo'
lan' 'n hire niggers to work hit, 'n how'd ye pay fo' t