lil' ol' hall bedroom?
You-alls is gone kinder crazy. The bes' ain't good enough fer my Miss
Ann. How she gonter make out in no little squz up room what ain't mo'n
a dressin'-room? Miss Ann air always been a havin' the gues' chamber
an' I'm a gonter 'stablish her thar now. Miss Milly done got mixed up,
Sis Em'ly," and the old man changed his indignant tone to a wheedling
one. "Sholy yo' Miss Milly wa' jes' a foolin' an' seein' as th'ain't
nobody in the gues' chamber we'll jes' put my Miss Ann thar."

The door of the guest chamber was open and the determined old darkey
pushed by Aunt Em'ly and entered the room prepared by Mildred and Nan
for their friends.

"See, they mus' a' got a message she wa' on the way, kase they done
put flowers in her room an' all," and old Billy kneeled to loosen the
straps of the telescopes.

"Git up from yonder, nigger!" exclaimed Aunt Em'ly. "The young ladies
air done swep and garnished this here room for they own comp'ny.
Th'ain't nothin' the matter with that there hall room. It air plenty
good enough fer mos' folks. I reckon yo' Miss Ann ain't a whit
better'n my Miss Mildred and my Miss Nan--ain't so good in fac', kase
they's got the same blood she air an' mo' of it. They's a older fambly
than she is kase they's come along two or three generations further
than what she is. They's Peytons an' Bucknors an' Prestons an'
Throckmortons an' Butlers an'--an' every other Kentucky fambly they's
a mind ter be."

Uncle Billy staggered to his feet and looked at Aunt Em'ly with
amazement and indignation. He tried to speak but words failed him.
She towered above him. There was something sinister and threatening
about her--at least so the old man fancied. Aunt Em'ly was in reality
merely standing up for the rights of her own especial white folks, but
to the dazed old man she seemed like a symbolic figure of famine and
disaster, lean and gaunt, pointing a long, bony finger at him. He
followed her to the hall bedroom and deposited his burdens and then
staggered down the stairs for the rest of Miss Ann's belongings.

Poor Uncle Billy! His troubles were almost more than he could bear.
Not that he personally minded getting up before dawn and flitting from
Mrs. Betty Throckmorton's home before any member of the household was
stirring. His Miss Ann had so willed it and far be it from him to
object to her commands. Even going without breakfast was no hardship,
if it so pleased his beloved mistress. The meal