' she
could larn somethin' from it, but de long words floored her an' me, too,
who tried to help her."

For a moment the Colonel seemed agitated, and taking the book from the
child he said, "Can I have it?"

"No, sar!" Jake answered emphatically. "I wouldn't part wid it for de
world. It's a part of Miss Dory, an' she tried so hard to read good an'
be a lady. Mandy Ann lived a spell wid de quality, an' got some o' dar
ways, an' I got some in Virginny, an' we tole 'em to her, an' she done
tried till towards de las' she gin it up. ''Taint no use,' she said to
me. 'I'm 'scouraged. I can never be a lady. Ef he comes after I'm dead,
tell him I tried an' couldn't.' She meant the chile's fader, her
husband. Ain't you her husband?"

It was a direct question, and Jake's honest eyes were looking steadily
at the Colonel, whose lips were white, and opened and shut two or three
times before he answered, "I am nobody's husband, and never shall be. I
knew your young mistress, and was interested in her, and shall care for
the child. Don't ask me any more questions."

Up to this moment Jake had felt quite softened towards the man he had
once thought to kill. But now he wanted to knock him down, but
restrained himself with a great effort, and answered, "I axes yer
pardon, but I'se allus thought so--an'--an'--I thinks so still."

To this there was no reply, and Jake, who had sent home his shaft, which
he knew was making the proud man quiver, spoke next of a monument for
Miss Dory, and asked where he'd better get it.

"Where you think best," the Colonel answered. "Only get a good one, and
send the bill to me."

"Yes, sar; thank'ee, Mas'r," Jake said, beginning to feel somewhat less
like knocking the Colonel down. "What shall I put on it?" he asked, and
the Colonel replied, "What was on her coffin?"

"Jess 'Eudora, aged twenty.' I didn' know no odder name--las' name, I
mean. I was shue 'twan't Harris."

"Put the same on the monument," the Colonel said; "and, Jake, keep the
grave up. She was a good girl."

"Fo' de Lawd, I knows dat, an' I thank'ee, Mas'r, for sayin' dem words
by de grave whar mabby she done har'em; thank'ee."

The tears were in Jake's eyes, as he grasped the Colonel's hand and
looked into the face which had relaxed from its sternness, and was
quivering in every muscle. The proud man was moved, and felt that if he
were alone he would have knelt in the hot sand by Eudora's grave, and
asked pardon for the wrong he