der heads bekaze dey stood by der own white folks. Ef it's
said, it'll hatter be said 'bout some er de yuthers."

"I'll go," said Uncle Plato, "but I hope I won't hatter frail Br'er
Jerry out."

"Now, dat's right whar we gits crossways," Aunt Charity declared. "I
hope you'll hatter frail 'im out."

Fortunately, Uncle Plato had no excuse for using his walking-cane on the
Rev. Jeremiah, when Sunday came. None of the church-members made any
active show of animosity. They simply held themselves aloof. Aunt
Charity had her innings, however. When services were over, and the
congregation was slowly filing out of the building, followed by the Rev.
Jeremiah, she remarked loud enough for all to hear her:

"Br'er Jerry, de nex' time you want me ter cook pullets fer dat ar
Lizzie Gaither, des fetch um 'long. I'll be glad ter 'blige you."

As the Rev. Jeremiah's wife was close at hand, the closing scenes can be
better imagined than described. In this chronicle the veil of silence
must be thrown over them.

It may be said, nevertheless, that Uncle Plato and his wife felt very
keenly the awkward position in which they were placed by the increasing
prejudice of the rest of the negroes. They were both sociable in their
natures, but now they were practically cut off from all association with
those who had been their very good friends. It was a real sacrifice they
had to make. On the other hand, who shall say that their firmness in
this matter was not the means of preventing, at least in Shady Dale,
many of the misfortunes that fell to the lot of the negroes elsewhere?
There can hardly be a doubt that their attitude, firm and yet modest,
had a restraining influence on some of the more reckless negroes, who,
under the earnest but dangerous teachings of Hotchkiss and his
fellow-workers, would otherwise have been led into excesses which would
have called for bloody reprisals.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

_Nan and Her Young Lady Friends_

Nan Dorrington found a pretty howdy-do at her house when she reached
home the night the Union League was organised. The members of the
household were all panic-stricken when the hours passed and Nan failed
to return. Ordinarily, there would have been no alarm whatever, but a
little after dark, Eugenia Claiborne, accompanied by a little negro
girl, came to Dorrington's to find out why Nan had failed to keep her
engagement. She had promised to take supper with Eugenia, and to spend
the night.

It w