t ondecent man?" inquired old Dinah of her nursli

quainted with him, mammy?" in

her woolly

my lamb," she said. "He called you Missie

cheeks grew scar

of what he done, the impident wily

l impulsively. "You heard what he said-it was a mer

decidedly. "I'll miss my guess if de ole man don't

Indeed, indeed, he is not the wicked man you believe him. He has kept

orrified. "Tell me all about it dis minut

e knew the old woman's love for her too well. She dried her

d it would not be fair for us to make t

k arms clasped around her knees, looking up into her nursling's eage

rouble, and perhaps the bitterest sorrow from these two meetings b

grandpa," Golden pleaded. "I will do anythi

ah announced

k to the strange gentleman again, lit

wy, ruffled pillows, her golden hair straying loosely about her shoulders, her cheeks tin

to-night," she pouted. "Why should I neve

ou. Ole brack mammy know

much," said Golden

ke him," responded Dinah.

eve it," said

retorted Dinah. "You'll ne

he child. "Will no

andpa, honey, and 'taint likely dat

med to be thinking intently. After

young. Who will take car

ck mammy, I g

id Golden. "You may no

e old negress. "Ah, my precious lamb, I has outlive

ed very sad for a momen

sarcumstances of the case to-morrow morning. Leastwise,

ry hard," s

at the wilyun, a-comin' in and kissin' you so unceremoni

e pillows, and a deep sig

d Dinah. "I knows what's for your good

fting her flushed face from the pillow a moment to fix her

ly promise it," was th

t, and Dinah saw the tears co

?" she inquired, only confirmed in

nless you give me leave, black mammy,

d go to sleep, honey, and I'll fetch my pallet in yere, and sleep o

, and Dinah threw down a quilt on the floor and ro

ut her eyelids resolutely, but the busy, beautiful brain was too active to admit of

art, "and yet I do not even know his name. I wond

is presence in her room, she could not believe him the

id to herself, "and they tell me Elinor wants to marry him;

almost as old as her years. They had always hated her,

but it did not take her long to re

d. It was a wonder that anyone could ha

on the mind of the girl that it was so. She knew that her life was

ons, no pleasures for her, and no

only his way, she said to herself, little dreaming of the dark mystery that lay like a deep, impass