in the big bedroom over the living
room. She had just finished remaking the bed--an old maple
four-poster, the wood a soft and mellowed orange, fine and colourful
against the white quilt, the lace-edged pillow slips.

"I put on clean sheets," said Aunt Dolcey as Annie hesitated on the
threshold. "Yes'm, I put on everything clean, an' the bes'. I know
what's fitten. My chile, dish yer de third bridal bed I made up for
wives of de Dean men."

Something caught in Annie's throat, terrified her. This old black
woman, with her remoteness, her pitying wise eyes, what did she mean?
Annie wanted terribly to ask her. But how begin? How get through this
wall of inscrutability which the black and yellow races have raised
for their protection?

She fluttered nearer to the old woman.

"Look," she began tremulously--"look--it's all right, isn't it, my
marrying him so quick? I haven't got any folks, and--and I suppose I
haven't got much sense; but there was something about him that just
made me trust him and--and want him. But it was all so quick, and--now
I'm here it seems like maybe--there was--something----Oh, you'd tell
me, wouldn't you? It is all right, isn't it?"

The old woman considered. "It's all right ef you're all right," she
pronounced at length.

"But--but what do you mean? And--and look here--Aunt Dolcey--tell
me--what'd he do to that dog he had?"

"What you know 'bout any dog?"

"I don't know--anything; but when I asked him why he didn't have a
dog--he was queer. It scared me."

"Doan be skeered. They ain' nuffin' to be skeered of 'bout Marse Wes.
Eve'ything all right ef you got patience, an' ef you got sense, an' ef
you got haht enough. Sperrit an' sense go far, but the haht gwine
carry you froo. Now I said my say"--her tone mellowed into unctuous
kindness--"what you want, Missy? Som'n Aun' Dolcey c'n fotch you?
Temme what it is, f'r I got to be up an' erbout my wuk. I got er
weddin' cake to mek yit this ebenin'. Yes, ma'am--I gwi' mek you
weddin' cake fill de bigges' pan in de kitchen."

She helped Annie rummage in her trunk and get out the sweater she had
come in for, and it was not until the girl was running back to the
barns that she realized Aunt Dolcey had not answered her question. But
the old woman's words had steadied her, reassured her.

And Wes received her gayly. His repairs were done, his team in
harness, ready to start.

"It's a shame," he said. "We ought to go off down to town and play
r