ju if he don't
bane gude Ay gif him haal. Ay tal him it bane gude t'ing if MacNair kill
him das night.

"Den MacNair come on de school and brung de policeman, LeFroy he 'fraid
for scart, and he goin' hide in de kitchen, and Ay drag him out and brung
him 'long to see MacNair. LeFroy, he 'fraid lak' haal. He squeal
MacNair goin' kill him. But Ay tal him das ain't much loss annyhow. If
he goin' kill him it's besser he kill him now, den Ay ain't got to bodder
wit' him no more. But MacNair, he don't kill him. Ay tal him LeFroy
goin' to be gude man now, and den MacNair he laugh, and tal LeFroy to go
'long and git out de grub."

"But," cried Chloe, "you say you have known all about Lapierre for a
year, and you knew all the time that MacNair was right, and Lapierre was
wrong, and you let me go blindly on thinking Lapierre was my friend, and
treating MacNair as I did! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ju got yoost so manny eyes lak' me!" retorted the woman. "Ju neffer ask
me vat Ay tank 'bout MacNair and 'bout Lapierre. And Ay neffer tal ju
das 'cause Ay tank it besser ju fin' out yourself. Ay know ju got to
fin' das out sometam'. Den ju believe it. Ju know lot 'bout vat stands
in de books, but das mos' lak' MacNair say: 'bout lot t'ing, you damn
fool!"

Chloe gasped. It was the longest speech Big Lena had ever made. And the
girl learned that when the big woman chose she could speak straight from
the shoulder.

Harriet Penny gasped also. She pushed back her chair, and shook an
outraged finger at Big Lena. "Go into the kitchen where you belong!" she
cried. "I really cannot permit such language in my presence. You are
unspeakably coarse!"

Chloe whirled on the little woman like a flash. "You shut up, Hat
Penny!" she snapped savagely. "You don't happen to do the permitting
around here. If your ears are too delicate to listen to _the truth_ you
better go into your own room and shut the door." And then crossing
swiftly to her own room, she opened the door, but before entering she
turned to Big Lena, "Make a pot of strong coffee," she ordered, "and
bring it to me here."

A few minutes later when the woman entered and deposited the tray
containing coffee-pot, cream-pitcher, and sugar-bowl upon the table, she
found Chloe striding up and down the room. There was a new light in the
girl's eyes, and, very much to Big Lena's surprise, she turned suddenly
upon her and throwing her arms about the massive shoulders,