ple o'
years to work out, or your necks stretched?"

"Oh, we'll 'fess, Mistah, we'll 'fess we done it; please, please don't
let 'em hang us!" cried the thoroughly frightened blacks.

"Well, that's something like it," said the prosecuting attorney as he
rose to go. "I'll see what can be done for you."

With marvelous and mysterious rapidity, considering the reticence
which a prosecuting attorney who was friendly to the negroes should
display, the report got abroad that the negroes had confessed their
crime, and soon after dark, ominous looking crowds began to gather in
the streets. They passed and repassed the place, where stationed on
the little wooden shelf that did duty as a doorstep, Jane Hunster sat
with her head buried in her hands. She did not raise up to look at any
of them, until a hand was laid on her shoulder, and a voice called
her, "Jane!"

"Oh, hit's you, is it, Bud," she said, raising her head slowly,
"howdy?"

"Howdy yoreself," said the young man, looking down at her tenderly.

"Bresh off yore pants an' set down," said the girl making room for him
on the step. The young man did so, at the same time taking hold of her
hand with awkward tenderness.

"Jane," he said, "I jest can't wait fur my answer no longer! you got
to tell me to-night, either one way or the other. Dock Heaters has
been a-blowin' hit aroun' that he has beat my time with you. I don't
believe it Jane, fur after keepin' me waitin' all these years, I don't
believe you'd go back on me. You know I've allus loved you, ever sence
we was little children together."

The girl was silent until he leaned over and said in pleading tones,
"What do you say, Jane?"

"I hain't fitten fur you, Bud."

"Don't talk that-a-way, Jane, you know ef you jest say 'yes,' I'll be
the happiest man in the state."

"Well, yes, then, Bud, for you're my choice, even ef I have fooled
with you fur a long time; an' I'm glad now that I kin make somebody
happy." The girl was shivering, and her hands were cold, but she made
no movement to rise or enter the house.

Bud put his arms around her and kissed her shyly. And just then a
shout arose from the crowd down the street.

"What's that?" she asked.

"It's the boys gittin' worked up, I reckon. They're going to lynch
them niggers to-night that burned ole man Williams out."

The girl leaped to her feet, "They mustn't do it," she cried. "They
ain't never been tried!"

"Set down, Janey," said her lover, "they've