ays secrets, but dis here little myst'ry
will git public powerful soon."

Coming through the medium of Plaster's troubled conscience, this answer
sounded ominous. Pearline picked up some sewing and Plaster reached for
his unwhittled stick. He spent one half-hour in deep thought. He was
sorry he had told Pearline that those three women were old sweethearts
of his. He recalled that his courtship of each woman had broken up in a
row and a fist-fight. It had been one-sided, the women conducting the
row and doing all the fighting while Plaster endeavored to escape. Now
Plaster had no other idea than that they were hot on his trail. They
were planning to make his life miserable through the jealousy of his
wife.

There was a loud knock on the front door. The two arose and the door
opened to Vinegar Atts, Figger Bush, and Hitch Diamond.

"Sister Sickety, us three niggers is a cormittee of three app'inted to
wait in privut on Brudder Plaster Sickety an' hol' a secret confab wid
him," Vinegar announced pompously.

"I don't allow my husbunt to hab no secrets from me," Pearline answered
looking suspiciously at her old sweetheart, Hitch Diamond.

"Dis am a man's pussonal bizzness, Pearline," Hitch Diamond rumbled. "A
nigger woman is got to butt out."

"But I's chained up wid Plaster," Pearline protested.

"Git over agin dat wall while dese gen'lemens whispers to me," Plaster
remarked, giving her a push toward the chair which he had occupied under
similar circumstances a short time before.

The three committeemen walked up close to Plaster, draped their arms
over his shoulders, and talked in whispers, but guffawed out loud.
Because Pearline was present their eyes irresistibly sought hers,
especially when they laughed--what man can keep from looking at the
woman in a room?--and Pearline inferred that they were talking and
laughing about her. She strained her ears to hear, but not a word
enlightened her ignorance. Then with a loud laugh the three men
patted Plaster on the back and took themselves off.

"Whut did them niggers want, Plaster?" Pearline demanded in irate tones.

"Dat's a fambly secret," Plaster quoted mockingly.

"I felt like a fool wid dem mens lookin' at me an' snickerin'," the
woman complained. "Wus dey talkin' about me?"

"Yes'm," the man chuckled.

This remark set Pearline to thinking about certain incidents. Hitch had
been an old sweetheart, Figger Bush and Vinegar Atts had paid her
courtly attentions