us about
the man in the case."

Harry gave a very good description of Brian Kent.

"Oh, damn!" suddenly cried Martha, shaking her skirt vigorously. She had
spilled some of the liquor from her glass.

A woman on the outer edge of the circle whispered to her nearest
neighbor, and a hush fell over the group.

"Well," said Martha, drinking the liquor remaining in her glass, "why
the devil don't we find out who they are, if we are so curious?"

"Find out! How? We'll find out a lot! What would you do,--ask them their
names and where they are from?" came from the company.

"It is easy enough," retorted Martha. "There is that native girl that
Molly picked up the day we landed here to help her in the kitchen. She
must belong in this neighborhood somewhere. I'll bet she can tell us
something. What is her name?"

"Judy,--Judy Taylor. Great idea! Good! Send her out here, Jim,"
responded the others.

When the deformed mountain girl appeared before them, she looked from
face to face with such a frightened and excited expression on her
sallow, old-young features, and such a wild light in her black beady
eyes, that they regarded her with silent interest.

Judy spoke first, and her shrill monotone emphasized her excited state
of mind: "That there nigger said as how Missus Kent was a-wantin' ter
see me. Be ary one of youuns sure 'nough Missus Kent?"

The group drew apart a little, and every face was turned from Judy to
the woman sitting on the top step of the veranda with her back against
the post.

Judy went slowly toward the woman, her beady eyes fixed and staring as
though at some ghostly vision. The woman rose to her feet as Judy paused
before her.

"Be you-all Brian Kent's woman?" demanded Judy.

The excited exclamation from the company and the manner of the woman
suddenly aroused the mountain girl to a realization of what she had done
in speaking Brian Kent's name. With an expression of frightened dismay,
she turned to escape; but the group of intensely interested spectators
drew closer. Every one waited for Martha to speak.

"Yes," she said, slowly, watching the mountain girl; "I am Mrs. Brian
Kent. Do you know my husband?"

Judy's black beady eyes shifted slyly from one face to another, and her
twisted body moved uneasily.

"No, ma'm; I ain't a-sayin' I knows him exactly. I done heard tell 'bout
him nigh 'bout a year ago, when there was some men from the city come
through here a-huntin' him. Everybody 'lows a