ll, you done settled de case ez fur ez I is concerned."

"What dat, Brothah Hayward?" she asked.

"Well, I do' know's I's quite prepahed to tell you yit."

"Hyeah now, don' you remembah ol' Mis' Eve? Taint nevah right to git a
lady's cur'osity riz."

"Oh, nemmine, nemmine, I ain't gwine keep yo' cur'osity up long. You
see, Sistah Griggs, you done 'lucidated one p'int to me dis night dat
meks it plumb needful fu' me to speak."

She was looking at him with wide open eyes of expectation.

"You made de 'emark to-night, dat it ain't no ha'dah lookin' out aftah
two dan one."

"Oh, Brothah Hayward!"

"Sistah Sally, I reckernizes dat, an' I want to know ef you won't let me
look out aftah we two? Will you ma'y me?"

She picked nervously at her apron, and her eyes sought the floor
modestly as she answered, "Why, Brothah Hayward, I ain't fittin' fu' no
sich eddicated man ez you. S'posin' you'd git to be pu'sidin' elder, er
bishop, er somp'n' er othah, whaih'd I be?"

He waved his hand magnanimously. "Sistah Griggs, Sally, whatevah high
place I may be fo'destined to I shall tek my wife up wid me."

This was enough, and with her hearty yes, the Rev. Mr. Hayward had
Sister Sally close in his clerical arms. They were not through their
mutual felicitations, which were indeed so enthusiastic as to drown the
sound of a knocking at the door and the ominous scraping of feet, when
the door opened to admit Isaac Middleton, just as the preacher was
imprinting a very decided kiss upon his fiancee's cheek.

"Wha'--wha'" exclaimed Middleton.

The preacher turned. "Dat you, Isaac?" he said complacently. "You must
'scuse ouah 'pearance, we des got ingaged."

The fair Sally blushed unseen.

"What!" cried Isaac. "Ingaged, aftah what I tol' you to-night." His face
was a thundercloud.

"Yes, suh."

"An' is dat de way you stan' up fu' fo'destination?"

This time it was the preacher's turn to darken angrily as he replied,
"Look a-hyeah, Ike Middleton, all I got to say to you is dat whenevah a
lady cook to please me lak dis lady do, an' whenevah I love one lak I
love huh, an' she seems to love me back, I's a-gwine to pop de question
to huh, fo'destination er no fo'destination, so dah!"

The moment was pregnant with tragic possibilities. The lady still stood
with bowed head, but her hand had stolen into her minister's. Isaac
paused, and the situation overwhelmed him. Crushed with anger and defeat
he turned toward the door.

On th