lin
say 'done' an' dey shuck han's on it. Dat what Marse Paul tol' Miss
Vallie, an he 'low he des done it fer fun, kaze he done looked inter
dat wil' lan', an' he low she's wuff a pile er money.

"Well, suh, 'bout dat time, I 'gun ter nod, an' de fus news I know'd
Miss Vallie wuz whackin' 'way on de peanner, an' it look like ter me
she wuz des tryin' 'erse'f. By dat time, dey wuz gettin' right chummy,
an' so I des curl up on de flo', an' dream dat de peanner chunes wuz
comin' out'n a bairl des like lasses.

"When I waked up, Marse Paul Conant done gone, an' Marse Tumlin ain't
come, an' Miss Vallie wuz settin' dar in de parlor lookin' up at de
ceilin' like she got some mighty long thoughts. Her color wuz still
up. I look at 'er an' laugh, an' she made a mouf at me, an' I say ter
myse'f, 'Hey! sump'n de matter here, sho,' but I say out loud, 'Marse
Paul Conant sho gwine ter ax me ef you ain't had a dram.' She laugh
an' say, 'What answer you gwine ter make?' I low, 'I'll bow an' say,
"No, suh; I'm de one dat drinks all de dram fer de fambly."'

"Well, suh, dat chile sot in ter laughin', an' she laugh an' laugh twel
she went inter highsterics. She wuz keyed up too high, ez you mought
say, an' dat's de way she come down agin. Bimeby, Marse Tumlin come,
an' Miss Vallie, she tol' 'm 'bout how Marse Paul done been dar; an' he
sot dar, he did, an' hummed an' haw'd, an' done so funny dat, bimeby, I
low, 'Well, folks, I'll hatter tell you good-night,' an' wid dat I went
out."

At this point Aunt Minervy leaned forward, clasped her hands over her
knees, and shook her head. When she took up the thread of her
narrative, if it can be called such, the tone of her voice was more
subdued, almost confidential, in fact.

"Nex' mornin' wuz my wash-day, suh, an' 'bout ten o'clock, when I got
ready, dey want no bluin' in de house an' mighty little soap. I hunted
high an' I hunted low, but no bluin' kin I fin'. An' dat make me mad,
bekaze ef I hatter go down town atter de bluin', my wash-day'll be
broke inter. But 'tain't no good fer ter git mad, bekaze I wuz bleeze
ter go atter de bluin'. So I tighten up my head-hankcher, an' flung a
cape on my shoulders an' put out.

"I 'speck you know how 'tis, suh. You can't go down town but what
you'll see nigger wimmen stan'in' out in de front yards lookin' over de
palin's. Dey all know'd me an' I know'd dem, an' de las' blessed one
un um hatter hail me ez I go by, an' I hatter stop