aper. She looked up as he
entered, but immediately resumed her reading. The captain waited for her
to speak. As a general thing he did not have to wait.

"Hello, Zuba," he hailed.

Azuba turned a page of the paper. She did not answer.

"Hello!" he hailed again. "What's the matter, Zuba? Gone into a trance,
have you?"

"Hey?" Azuba did look up then, but at once looked down again. "Hey?" she
repeated. "No, I ain't in no trance. I'm readin', that's all."

"I should think that was enough, if it fixes you so you can't speak to
anybody. Must be mighty interestin' readin'."

"Hey? Interestin'? I guess 'tis interestin'! It's more'n that, it's
upliftin', too. I'm just beginnin' to realize what I am."

"That so? Well, what are you?"

"I'm a woman, that's what I am."

She made the declaration with the air of one imparting news of a
startling discovery. Daniel laughed.

"Is that so!" he exclaimed. "Well, well! I want to know! I always
suspected it, Zuba, but I'm glad you told me, just the same. Does it say
so in that paper?"

Azuba rose from her chair. She did not laugh; she was intensely serious.

"It says a lot of things," she announced, "a lot of things I never
thought of afore. I don't mean that exactly. I've thought of 'em, but I
never knew how to make anything out of my thoughts. I just kept thinkin'
and let it go at that. Now, I'm beginnin' to realize. I'm a woman, I
am, a free woman. That paper is for free women. Have you read it, Cap'n
Daniel?"

Captain Dan took the paper which she extended to him at arm's length. He
recognized it immediately. It was "The Woman's Voice," official organ of
the National Guild of Ladies of Honor. Serena was a subscriber.

He glanced at the paper and tossed it on the table.

"Yes," he said shortly, "I've read some of it."

Azuba seized the discarded journal as if it were a precious treasure, a
thing to be treated tenderly and with reverence.

"Some of it!" she repeated. "Humph! I'd read all of it, if I was you.
'Twould do the men good if they was made to read every number ten times
over. It's a wonderful paper. It's opened MY eyes, I can tell you that."

It had, apparently, opened her mouth as well, although to do that
required no great urging at any time. She went on to preach the glories
of the "Voice," and concluded by reading an editorial which, like Mrs.
Lake's addresses at Chapter meetings, contained a great many words and,
to the captain's mind, little understandin