ht at the word and
demanded, "Only what, Mis' Martin?"

"Well, I seen Brother 'Liphalet Hodges takin' him away from here in his
buggy--"

"An' so you come down to see what was what, eh, so 's you could be the
first to tell the neighbourhood?"

"Now, Miss Hester, you know that I ain't one o' them that talks, but I
do feel sich an interest in the pore motherless child, an' when I seen
Brother Hodges a-takin' him away, I thought perhaps he was a-goin' to
take him to raise."

"Well, Brother Hodges ain't a-goin' to take him to raise."

"Mercy sakes! Miss Hester, don't git mad, but who is?"

"I am, that 's who."

"Miss Prime, what air you a-sayin'? You shorely don't mean it. What kin
you do with a child?"

"I kin train him up in the way he ought to go, an' keep him out o' other
people's houses an' the street."

"Well, o' course, that 's somethin'," said Mrs. Martin, weakly.

"Somethin'? Why, it 's everything."

The visitor had now gotten the information for which she was looking,
and was anxious to be gone. She was absolutely bursting with her news.

"Well, I must be goin'," she said, replacing her shawl and standing in
embarrassed indecision. "I only run in fur a minute. I hope you 'ain't
got no hard feelin's at my inquisitiveness."

"Not a bit of it. You wanted to know, an' you come and asked, that 's
all."

"I hope you 'll git along all right with the child."

"I sha' n't stop at hopin'. I shall take the matter to the Lord in
prayer."

"Yes, He knows best. Good-bye, Miss Hester."

"Good-bye, Sallie; come in ag'in." The invitation sounded a little bit
sarcastic, and once more the grim smile played about Miss Prime's mouth.

"I 'low," she observed to herself, as she took the cake from the oven
for the last time, tried it, and set it on the table,--"I 'low that I
did give Sallie Martin one turn. I never did see sich a woman fur pryin'
into other folks' business."

Swift are the wings of gossip, and swift were the feet of Mrs. Sallie
Martin as she hurried back to tell the news to her impatient friend, who
listened speechless with enjoyment and astonishment.

"Who would 'a' thought you could 'a' talked it out o' her so?" she
gasped.

"Oh, I led her right along tell she told me everything," said Mrs.
Martin, with a complacency which, remembering her reception, she was far
from feeling.

Shortly after her departure, and while, no doubt, reinforced by Mrs.
Smith, she was still watching at the window,