black 'oman's baby bein' borned de same day, is
yer? An' how de ole 'oman nussed 'em bofe des like twins? An'--an' how
folks 'cused 'er o' starvin' 'er own baby on de 'count o' yo' ma bein'
puny? (_But dat warn't true._) Maybe yer better leave all dat out, 'caze
hit mought spile de story."

"How could it spoil it, mammy?"

"Don't yer see, ef folks knowed dat dem white folks an' dat ole black
'oman was _dat close-t_, dey wouldn't be no principle in it. Dey ain't
nothin' but _love_ in _dat_, an' de ole 'oman _couldn't he'p 'erse'f, no
mo'n I could he'p it_! No right-minded pusson is gwine ter deny dey own
heart. Yer better leave all dat out, honey. B-b-but deys some'h'n' else
wha' been lef out, wha' b'long in de book. Yer 'ain't named de way de
little mistus sot up all nights an' nussed de ole 'oman time she was
sick, an'--an'--an' de way she sew all de ole 'oman's cloze;
an'--an'--an' yer done lef' out a heap o' de purtiness an' de sweetness
o' de yo'ng mistus! Dis is a book, baby, an'--an'--yer boun' ter do
jestice!"

In this fashion the story was written.

"And what do you think I am going to do with it, mammy?" said Evelyn,
when finally, having done her very best, she was willing to call it
finished.

"Yer know some'h'n' baby? Ef-ef-ef I had de money, look like I'd buy
that story myse'f. Seem some way like I loves it. Co'se I couldn't read
it; but my min' been on it so long, seem like, ef I'd study de pages
good dee'd open up ter me. What yer gwine do wid it, baby?"

"Oh, mammy, I can hardly tell you! My heart seems in my throat when I
dare to think of it; but _I'm going to try it_. A New York magazine has
offered five hundred dollars for a best story--_five hundred dollars_!
Think, mammy, what it would do for us!"

"Dat wouldn't buy de plantatiom back, would it, baby?" Mammy had no
conception of large sums.

"We don't want it back, mammy. It would pay for moving our dear ones to
graves of their own; we should put a nice sum in bank; you shouldn't do
any more washing; and if we can write one good story, you know we can
write more. It will be only a beginning."

"An' I tell yer what I gwine do. I gwine pray over it good, des like I
been doin' f'om de start, an' ef hit's Gord's will, dem folks 'll be
moved in de sperit ter sen' 'long de money."

And so the story was sent.

After it was gone the atmosphere seemed brighter. The pending decision
was now a fixed point to which all their hopes were directed.