ker--mammy trotting to the
door--the postman--a letter! It all happened in a minute.

How Evelyn's heart throbbed and her hand trembled as she opened the
envelope! "Oh, mammy!" she cried, trembling now like an aspen leaf.
"_Thank God!_"

"Is dee d-d-d-done sont de money, baby?" Her old face was twitching too.

But Evelyn could not answer. Nodding her head, she fell sobbing on
mammy's shoulder.

Mammy raised her apron to her eyes, and there's no telling what
"foolishness" she might have committed had it not been that suddenly,
right at her side, arose a most jubilant screech.

Blink, perched on the handle of the clothes-basket, was crowing with all
his might.

Evelyn, startled, raised her head, and laughed through her tears, while
mammy threw herself at full length upon the floor, shouting aloud.

"Tell me chickens 'ain't got secon'-sight! Blink see'd--he
see'd--Laws-o'-mussy, baby, look yonder at dat little yaller rooster
stan'in' on de fence. _Dat_ what Blink see. Co'se it is!"

DUKE'S CHRISTMAS

DUKE'S CHRISTMAS

"You des gimme de white folks's Christmas-dinner plates, time they git
thoo eatin', an' lemme scrape 'em in a pan, an' set dat pan in my lap,
an' blow out de light, an' _go it bline_! Hush, honey, hush, while I
shet my eyes now an' tas'e all de samples what'd come out'n dat
pan--cramberries, an' tukkey-stuffin' wid _puck_ons in it, an' ham an'
fried oyscher an'--an' minch-meat, an' chow-chow pickle an'--an' jelly!
Umh! Don' keer which-a-one I strack fust--dey all got de Christmas
seasonin'!"

Old Uncle Mose closed his eyes and smiled, even smacked his lips in
contemplation of the imaginary feast which he summoned at will from his
early memories. Little Duke, his grandchild, sitting beside him on the
floor, rolled his big eyes and looked troubled. Black as a raven, nine
years old and small of his age, but agile and shrewd as a little fox, he
was at present the practical head of this family of two.

This state of affairs had existed for more than two months, ever since a
last attack of rheumatism had lifted his grandfather's leg upon the
chair before him and held it there.

Duke's success as a provider was somewhat remarkable, considering his
size, color, and limited education.

True, he had no rent to pay, for their one-roomed cabin, standing on
uncertain stilts outside the old levee, had been deserted during the
last high-water, when Uncle Mose had "tooken de chances" and moved