de po'ch. But she mus' 'a'
feel kine o' strange 'n' lonesome, too, 'cuz praesen'ly she ax Sarah
'n' Marg'ret won't dey come out 'n' set dere fer a li'l' w'ile.

"'It's time fer you ter go ter baid, ain't it, 'Zekiel?' she say; an'
I jes start ter tell 'er, 'No'm, I doan' reckon 'tis,' w'en it come de
stranges' noise out dere in de yard. Look like somebody's runnin' ser
fas' he cyan't sca'cely breve, an' all time comin' right 'long fru de
grass todes de steps.

"'Mis' Simons, Mis' Simons!' somebody whisper, awful hoarse an'
strange-like. An' _w'at_ yer s'pose? W'y, it's jes _Jo_-nah, a-tearin'
right 'long up de steps!

"'Lemme go in, Mis' Simons! Please lemme go in!' he keep on
whisperin', like he cyan't sea'cely breve. 'Dey's after me, Mis'
Simons! Dey's gwine git me! An' yer knows I ain't done a _thing to
'em_, Mis' Simons! Oh, w'at's dey a-chasin' me fer? I--I ain' _done a
thing_!'

"Yas'm, dat's jes de way he talk, an' 'mos' look like he's gwine fall
right down, too, twell Mis' Simons tuk hole uv 'is arm, kine o'
shekkin' 'im, like, an' turn 'roun' ter de do'.

"'Go in, Jonah! Quick!' she say. 'Cuz dey's voices an' folks a-runnin'
an' holl'in' right dere in de yard. She seem ter jes push 'im in an'
shet de do'; an' den she stan' up, lookin' ser stret 'n' w'ite-like,
didn' look r'ally _like_ Mis' Simons.

"''Tain' gwine nobody else git--fru--dat-do',' she say, ser low
couldn' nobody sca'cely hyeah it; an' den, oh, 'twuz jes awful! Dey
all come a-knockin' up 'ginst de steps, an' a-holl'in' an' a-pushin',
an' some uv 'em laffin' an' some uv 'em cursin', an' all uv 'em
holl'in' 'bout de nigger, an' tellin' Mis' Simons ter bring out de
nigger!

"An' w'at yer s'pose? Mis' Simons she jes stan' dere same's ever,
a-lookin' down on 'em wid 'er back ter de do'.

[Illustration: "'IT'S TIME FER YOU TER GO TO BAID, AIN'T IT, 'ZEKIEL?'
SHE SAY"]

"'Bring 'im out!' dey keep on a-holl'in'. 'Bring 'im out!'

"An' 'er face look all w'ite an' dazzlin' in de light, an' 'er voice
come low an' kine o' shekkin' like. 'No,' she say, 'I cert'nly is not
gwine--bring 'im out,' she say. Yas'm, dat's jes de 'sponse she make.
An' den dey all 'mence holl'in' ag'in 'bout crim'nal 'n'--'n'
murd'rer, an' sayin' does she want 'em ter go in _af_-ter 'im, an'
buntin' up 'ginst de steps ag'in, an' jostlin' an' pushin', twell Mis'
Simons kine o' step forrad a li'l', still a-lookin' down at 'em.

"'Ain't yer 'shame!' she say. '_Oh--ain't--ye