a li'l', or p'r'aps
read a li'l'--' an' same time she's tellin' me 'bout it she 'mence
walkin' off down de paff.

"Praesen'ly she turn 'roun' ag'in, an' I kin see 'er tekkin' one o' de
lilies f'um de bunch an' puttin' it in 'er dress. Den she put 'er hand
up to 'er haid quick, like she's thought o' sump'n' she oughter
'membered 'fo'.

"''Zekiel!' she say. An' I run up to 'er fas' 's I could.

"''Zekiel, tell Jonah I--I forgot!' she whisper to me, an' she look
r'al w'ite an' strange. 'Tell 'im--no--' an' she seem ter change 'er
mine, 'no, I ain' gwine, after all. I'll wait yere twell he comes.'

"Co'se I ain' know w'at 'tis Mis' Simons 'membered 'bout ser quick,
an' I ain't r'ally wanter ax 'er, nudder; so I jes stood dere
a-lookin' after 'er w'ile she walk off ter de li'l' arbor in de
gyarden an' se' down on de seat. She look kine o' lonesome, too,
a-settin' dere all 'lone, an' I start gwine after 'er ter ax 'er
w'at's de matter. But time I gotten dere I didn' r'ally like ter
trouble 'er, so I jes stood dere quiet by de do', a-lookin' in.

"'Well, 'Zekiel,' she 'mence praesen'ly, 'did yer want sump'n'?'

"'No'm,' I say, kine o' wishin' I ain't come, 'no'm, but I'se studyin'
a li'l' 'bout yer, Mis' Simons--an' wonderin' did sump'n'--frighten
yer?'

"She smile den, an' hel' out 'er han'.

"'No, no, my chile,' she say, lookin' mo' like she useter 'gin,
''tain' nuthin' frighten me; I'se jes thinkin' 'bout sump'n'--I
oughter 'membered 'fo'. 'Twuz ve'y thoughtless o' me--ter fergit!' she
say low like to 'erself. Den, ''Zekiel,' she 'mence ag'in, ''ow long
does yer reckon it's gwine tek Jonah ter git back?'

"'I dunno'm, Mis' Simons,' I say, 'but I reckon he'll be back right
soon now, too.'

"'_Couldn'_ tek 'im mo'n a hour, could it?' she ask, jes ez ef I
knowed all 'bout it.

"'No'm,' I say, 'couldn' tek 'im mo'n a hour.'

[Illustration: "'SHE KEEP ON A-READIN', AN' I KEEP ON A-WUKKIN' ON DE
PAFF'"]

"She look up r'al bright at me den, an' praesen'ly look down at de
flowers in 'er han'.

"'I reckon _you'll_ be 'blige tek 'em ter Mis' Myers, won't yer,
'Zekiel?' she 'mence. But she stop quick 'gin, lookin' same way she
did 'fo', w'en she put 'er han' up to 'er haid.

"'No!' she say, 'doan't yer go outen de yard ter-day, 'Zekiel! Yer
won't go 'way ter-day, will yer, 'Zekiel?'

"'W'y, no'm,' I say, wonderin' w'at she mean; 'no'm, I ain' gwine 'way
'n' leave yer, Mis' Simons.'

"She smile ag'in, an' lay do