ly gal," went on Aunt Verbeny, "an' when she las'
come home, she wuz a-warin' spike-heeled shoes en er veil uv skeeter
nettin'. 'Tain' so long sence Rhody's Viney went to Philadelphy, too,
but she ain' had no luck sence she wuz born er twin. Hit went clean agin
'er."

"Lord a-mercy, Aunt Verbeny, she ain't a-comin' back dis way?" asked
Betsey, probing the apples with a small pine stick and giving the
softest to Eugenia.

Aunt Verbeny shook her head.

"She ain' never had no luck on er 'count er bein' er twin," she said.
"When she sot herse'f on a-gwine up ter de Yankees, Marse Tom, he tuck
er goose quill en wrote out 'er principles [recommendations] des' es
plain es writin' kin be writ--which ain't plain enough fer my eyes--en
he gun' 'em ter Viney wid his own han's. Viney tuck 'n put 'em safe 'way
down in de bottom uv 'er trunk en went 'long ter de Yankees. But she
ain' been dar mo'n er week when one night she went a-traipsin' out on de
street en lef er principles behint 'er, en, bless yo' life, oner dem ar
Yankees breck right in en stole 'em smack 'way f'om 'er. Yo' trunk is a
moughty risky place ter kyar yo' principles, but Viney, she wuz dat sot
up."

A nod of assent passed round the group. The children ate their apples
silently, and Moses got up to put fresh wood on the fire. As the green
log fell among the smouldering chips vivid tongues of flame shot up the
smoked old mortar of the chimney, and the remaining apples burst their
brown peels and sent out little rivulets of juice. The crackling of the
fresh bark made a cheerful accompaniment to the chirping of a cricket
hidden somewhere in the hearthstones.

"Dar now, bro' Ish!" exclaimed Aunt Verbeny, watching Eugenia as she sat
in the dull red glare. "Ef dat chile ain't de patt'en er young Miss
Meeley, I'se clean cracked in my head, I is. I 'members Miss Meeley des'
ez well ez 'twuz yestiddy de day Marse Tom brung her home en de niggers
stood a-bowin' en axin' howdy at de gate. She wuz all black en white en
cold lookin' twell she smiled, en den it wuz des' like er lightwood
blaze in 'er eyes."

Uncle Ish nodded dreamily.

"I use ter ride erlong wid Marse Tom ter co'te 'er," he said, "en de
gent'men wuz a-troopin' ter see her in vayous attitudes. Dey buzzed
roun' 'er de same ez bees, but she ain' had no eyes fer none 'cep'n
Marse Tom."

At that instant the door opened, and Rindy rushed in, breathlesly
pursuing Eugenia.

"Miss Chris is pow'ful riled," she