adness which comes more poignantly to those whose gaieties have been
shocked by tragedy. Silently, and with murmured injunctions to keep them
advised, Bob's household took its way homeward, leaving Aunt Timmie to
nurse the little sufferer. Miss Liz had offered to do this, and so had
Jane and Ann, but the old woman indignantly waved them aside.

"What d' you-all know 'bout nussin'?" she had asked, with a fine degree
of scorn.

But the true reason was that Bip loved Mesmie, and this gave Mesmie a
claim upon Aunt Timmie's love.

CHAPTER XXVIII

AUNT TIMMIE HEARS A SECRET

Uncle Zack was sitting, shortly after noon a week later, on the door
step of Bradford's cottage. Mesmie was sleeping by the aid of a mild
narcotic, and Aunt Timmie, having darkened the windows, had now come
quietly out to converse with him. Her seven days of vigilance had been
trying to a degree, and, although while in the sick room she was the
very soul of tenderness, this opportunity for relaxation came as a
grateful relief. Therefore, Zack had been passing through several
uncomfortable minutes, during the course of which he heard a great deal
about "wu'thless niggers what sponges off dey twin wife," and other
caustic observations.

His position was becoming altogether unbearable, yet he knew that if he
attempted flight she would bring him back, and if he openly rebelled she
would spank him. Only on the Colonel's last birthday she had turned him
over her knee in good earnest, because he imbibed too many heel-taps to
wait upon the table. So, resorting to diplomacy, he assumed a wise air
and hinted that he might not be so untrustworthy as she had been misled
to believe--that, indeed, he was the possessor of a startling piece of
news.

This mollified Aunt Timmie. If she could get nothing else out of her
gamble on Zack's earthly existence, she might at least know his secrets.
As a matter of fact, she would be most righteously hurt if every family
secret did not with proper humility walk up and lay its head in her lap.
So she began, using a bait which long experience had proven fruitful
when angling in Zack's vicinity.

"You don' know nuthin'," she tilted her chin with a grand air of scorn.
"You never did know nuthin', an' it hu'ts me mos' persumptuously to say
dat you ain' never gwine know nuthin'!"

"Don' make no diff'ence ef I knows nuthin', or not;--I knows sumfin,
jest de same!" he retorted.

"Don' strain yohse'f dat a-way, li'l man