hing every movement intently.

Turning to face her companion again, Auntie Sue stood, still speechless,
clasping and unclasping her thin old hands.

Judy spoke in her shrill, drawling monotone: "You-all have sure fixed
hit this here time, hain't you? Can't you-all see what a hell of a hole
you've done got us inter?"

When Auntie Sue apparently could not reply, Judy continued: "Just as if
hit wasn't more 'n enough for you-all ter go an' wear yourself plumb out
a-takin' keer of that there ornery, no-'count feller, what I never ought
ter dragged out of the river nohow. An', now, you-all got ter go
an' just naturally lie like you did ter the Sheriff an' that there
deteckertive man. I was plumb scared to death a-listenin' ter you
through the crack in the kitchen door. I 'lowed every minute they'd
ketch you, sure. My Lord-A'mighty! ma'm, can't you-all figger what'll
happen ter weuns if they ever finds out that weuns done had him hid
right here in this here house all the time? I never heard tell of such
dad burned, fool doin's in all my born days! I sure wish ter God that
there old John-boat had a-tuck him off down the river an' smashed him
up agin Elbow Rock, like hit ort, an' not a-fetched him ter our door ter
git weuns in jail for savin' his worthless, no-'count hide,--I sure do!"

"But, Judy, I never in all my life did such a thing before," said Auntie
Sue in a tremulous whisper, too overwrought to speak aloud.

"You-all ain't a-needin' ter do hit but onct, neither. Onct is sure a
heap plenty for that there big Sheriff man. Just look what he did ter
my pap! He's jailed pap seven times, that I kin rec'lect. God-A'mighty
knows how many times he ketched him 'fore I was borned. An' pap, he
didn't do so mighty much ary time, neither."

"I just had to do it, Judy, dear," protested Auntie Sue. "It seemed as
if I simply could not tell the truth: something wouldn't let me."

Judy, unheeding her companion's agitation, continued reviewing the
situation: "An' just look at all the money you-all done lost!"

"Money?" questioned Auntie Sue.

"Yep, 'money:'--that there reward what they'd a-paid you-all if you-all
hadn't a-lied like you did. I reckon as how there'd a-been as much,
maybe, as what was in that there letter you-all done sent ter the bank
an' ain't never heard tell of since. Hit's most likely clean gone by
now, an' here you done gone an' throw'd this other away,--plumb throw'd
hit away!"

At this, Auntie Sue's spirit