or about his
continued connection with the church, and the inquisitive sisterhood
was on the point of exploding from an over-accumulation of unanswered
questions.

He delivered his sermons conscientiously, called upon his poor, listened
to the sorrows, real and fancied, of his parishioners, and shut himself
up with his books or walked alone on the hill behind the church.

He had been absent all day, when Mandy looked out on the circus lot for
the dozenth time, and saw that the afternoon performance was closing.
It had driven her to desperation to learn that Miss Polly was not in the
parade that morning, and to know that the pastor had made no effort
to find out about her. For weeks both she and Hasty had hoped that the
return of the circus might bring Polly back to them; but now it was
nearly night and there had been no word from her. Why didn't she come
running in to see them, as Mandy had felt so sure she would? Why had the
pastor stayed away on the hills all day?

Unanswered questions were always an abomination to Mandy, so finally she
drew a quarter from the knotted gingham rag that held her small wad of
savings, and told Hasty "to go long to de show and find out 'bout Miss
Polly."

She was anxiously waiting for him, when Deacon Strong knocked at the
door for the second time that afternoon.

"Is Mr. Douglas back yet?' he asked.

"No, sah, he ain't," said Mandy, very shortly. She felt that Strong
and Elverson had been "a-tryin' to spy on de parson all day," and she
resented their visits more than she usually did.

"What time are you expectin' him?"

"I don't nebber spec' Massa Douglas till I sees him."

Strong grunted uncivilly, and went down the steps. She saw from the
window that he met Elverson in front of the church.

"Dey sure am a-meanin' trouble," she mumbled.

The band had stopped playing; the last of the audience had straggled
down the street. She opened the door and stood on the porch; the house
seemed to suffocate her. What was keeping Hasty?

He came at last, but Mandy could tell from his gait that he brought
unwelcome news.

"Ain't she dar?"

"She's wid 'em, all right," said Hasty.

"Yuh seed her?"

"Naw, I didn't done SEED her."

"What?"

"She want in de show."

"What you jes' tell me?"

"She's a-trabbelin' wid 'em, Mandy, but she didn't done ride."

"See heah, Hasty Jones, is dat ere chile sick?"

"I don' rightly know," said Hasty. "A great big man, what wored clothes
lik