," she sneered. "You ain' got
sense 'nuff to know you ain' got no sense--an' dat's de wu'st fix a body
kin be in!"

"Who says so?" Zack was driven to a question.

"Eve'ybody says so! 'Tain' no secret 'tween heah an' town!"

"You don' 'tatch 'nuff 'portance to me," he glared at her, quivering
with indignation, "Since you lef heah de Cunnel don' do nuthin' 'thout
fu'st axin' me!"

She laughed, guardedly on Mesmie's account, but it was a taunting,
disdainful laugh that cut him to the quick. "Listen to dat!" she
sneered. "An' Marse John done said he wouldn' trust you in jail!"

"Den how-cum he taken me wid 'im to find dat man Marse Dale done shoot?"
the outraged old man, at last taking the bait, triumphantly dashed off
with it.

Aunt Timmie straightened in her chair and her eyes rolled at him in
terror.

"You'se lyin'," she said huskily.

The heat of vindicated vanity was in Zack's blood, and nothing would
have kept him from rushing into details; dwelling upon each, and making
them swell in all directions as he watched her ponderous frame heave
with excitement. Finally she had the whole story, and enough
exaggeration to dress up the entire calendar of crime. For several
minutes she sat looking at her folded hands.

"I'se 'most sorry you tol' me dat," she said in a weak, pathetic voice.
"But," squaring herself around at him with the former, towering
strength, "don' you tell no one else! Heah me? Come on, now, an' hitch
up mah buggy, whilst I call Miss Liz to look arter dis li'l gal. I'se
gwine home fer awhile!"

In spite of the physical vigor which accompanied this, it was a very
much saddened old woman who drove slowly along the pike, squinting her
eyes to keep out its glare. Her lips moved as she talked over to herself
the events made known by Zack, or the excuses she was building up for
Dale. She was passing Hewlet's house now, when a woman's voice, high,
whiney and querulous, floated out to her.

"Let the gal alone, Tom! Yer've done near bruised her arm off now, as
'tis!"

Aunt Timmie reined in.

"An' you kin keep yoh durned mouth shet," a man yelled, evidently in
great excitement. "She ain't no moh yourn than she is mine, I reckon;
an' she's goin' to git that money from her 'ristocratic friend, or I'll
know why! Will you git it?" There was a sound of scuffle, as though
someone were shaking another.

"No, I won't," a girl's voice came breathlessly.

There followed, then, the unmistakable sound of a b