hoss out. The town's wild about
it."

Without waiting for a reply of any sort, the speaker ducked through the
door and slammed it after him. It had taken a deal of courage for him to
deliver his speech, but he was determined to say it.

Glenning eyed the disarray of dishes dubiously. Some of them appeared
cold, while the faint odour which crept to his nostrils from the others
was not at all savory. But the rich aroma of coffee blended with the
other smells, and he was on the verge of making an effort to rise when
there came a faint rap upon his door. It was so faint that John was not
sure he had heard it. He was quite certain there had been no sound of
footsteps. As he lay with his head in an expectant attitude the rap came
again--two little pecking knocks, given timorously. The man on the bed
relaxed, drew the cover which he had thrown partly aside up to his chin,
and invited whoever it was to enter, in a fairly strong voice.

Then a most extraordinary thing happened at the door. The knob was
deliberately turned, then released. Again it was turned, and the door
carefully opened about two inches. It remained this way for the space of
a breath or two, then the aperture was widened by perhaps another two
inches. Glenning was puzzled. If some one was pranking, the sport was
certainly very innocent. By almost imperceptible degrees the door kept
coming open, and then a bald, brown, sleek skull, surrounded by a fringe
of white wool, came within the range of vision of the watcher on the
bed. Peter looked slowly all around the room, and the last object his
eyes alighted upon was the man. Then he completed his entrance in a
comparatively rapid manner, bobbing his head unceasingly, and being
careful to see that the door was latched behind him. Then he bowed
profoundly.

"Mawnin', suh! I hope you's bettuh, suh! De Prince am not hu't much, 'n'
de folks feel putty peart, suh! De Lawd bress yo', suh--doctuh--'n' keep
yo' twel de day o' Jedgment fo' savin' dat' deah colt whut would 'a'
buhned to a cracklin' but fo' you. Yes, suh! Dis ol nigguh gwi' ax de
Lawd's blessin' on you night 'n' mawnin', 'n' I'm 'bleeged to yo', suh,
fo' whut you done las' night!"

Glenning had no difficulty in recognizing in his effusive caller the old
negro who had played a star part in the barn lot. But there was
something which claimed his attention above the volubility of Peter, and
that was a square envelope, tinted a delicate blue, which the darky