body said you wuz good ter
cullud folks, an' he'ped 'em in deir lawsuits an' one way er 'nuther,
an' I wuz jes' plum' glad ter see you gettin' 'long so fine, dat I wuz,
certain sho', an' no mistake about it."

"Thank you, Frank, and I want you to understand how much I appreciate"--

"How much we all appreciate," corrected Rena.

"Yes, how much we all appreciate, and how grateful we all are for your
kindness to mother for so many years. I know from her and from my
sister how good you've been to them."

"Lawd, suh!" returned Frank deprecatingly, "you're makin' a mountain
out'n a molehill. I ain't done nuthin' ter speak of--not half ez much
ez I would 'a' done. I wuz glad ter do w'at little I could, fer
frien'ship's sake."

"We value your friendship, Frank, and we'll not forget it."

"No, Frank," added Rena, "we will never forget it, and you shall always
be our good friend."

Frank left the room and crossed the street with swelling heart. He
would have given his life for Rena. A kind word was doubly sweet from
her lips; no service would be too great to pay for her friendship.

When Frank went out to the stable next morning to feed his mule, his
eyes opened wide with astonishment. In place of the decrepit, one-eyed
army mule he had put up the night before, a fat, sleek specimen of
vigorous mulehood greeted his arrival with the sonorous hehaw of lusty
youth. Hanging on a peg near by was a set of fine new harness, and
standing under the adjoining shed, as he perceived, a handsome new cart.

"Well, well!" exclaimed Frank; "ef I did n' mos' know whar dis mule,
an' dis kyart, an' dis harness come from, I'd 'low dere 'd be'n
witcheraf' er cunjin' wukkin' here. But, oh my, dat is a fine mule!--I
mos' wush I could keep 'im."

He crossed the road to the house behind the cedars, and found Mis'
Molly in the kitchen. "Mis' Molly," he protested, "I ain't done nuthin'
ter deserve dat mule. W'at little I done fer you wa'n't done fer pay.
I'd ruther not keep dem things."

"Fer goodness' sake, Frank!" exclaimed his neighbor, with a
well-simulated air of mystification, "what are you talkin' about?"

"You knows w'at I'm talkin' about, Mis' Molly; you knows well ernuff
I'm talkin' about dat fine mule an' kyart an' harness over dere in my
stable."

"How should I know anything about 'em?" she asked.

"Now, Mis' Molly! You folks is jes' tryin' ter fool me, an' make me
take somethin' fer nuthin'. I lef' my ole mule an'