the coffee pot down by the ice water, dropped the dish towel into the
wood box and allowed herself to be kissed, laughing gayly at the old
darkey's expression of amusement.

"Oh, yes, wife, wife, wife! That's all one er these here green husbands
kin say. But I see right here ef I _is_ comp'ny done come to spen' de
day, I'd bes' put on a ap'on and git ter wuck. De bac'n is ready ter
burn up and I 'low that there pan er baby bis'it is done to a turn. De
coffee pot done het up de ice water and de ice water done took the 'roma
from de coffee. Here I was a passin' compliments on Miss Molly 'bout her
swif'ness, and she actin' jes lak Ca'line! De kitchen ain't no place fer
spoons, 'less they is i'on spoons to stir up de batter wif. Go 'long an'
sit down in yo' cheers. I'll bring in the victuals."

Aunt Mary was very strict with the other servants and would have
reprimanded any of them severely for venturing a remark "while de white
folks was eatin'," but she followed Molly and Edwin to the screened
porch where the table was laid, and while they ate the very good
breakfast which, thanks to her, had not burned up, the old woman
entertained them with her keen observations.

"I knowed you'd be pleased wif de Jonases gourd I done planted hin' de
kitchen on that arbor what Mr. Kent called by some outlandish name lak
perg'low. I say I planted de gourd, which ain't ter say the wholesome
truf. Yer see, gourds mus' be planted by a foolish 'ooman or a lazy,
no-'count man ef you want 'em to grow fas'. I sho did want that there
vine to kiver de arbor befo' you and yo' teacher got here, so I got
Ca'line, who is 'thout doubt the foolishest virgin I ever seed, to plant
on one side and that low down, lazy Buck Jasper to tend to tother, and
you kin see fer yo'self they's meetin' overhead."

"The vine has certainly grown very rapidly," laughed the professor. "I
have never heard before what were the requisites for a flourishing
gourd."

"Well, I ain't a-sayin' that part of its comin' on so well ain't due to
the haid work that old Mary Morton put on it. I bossed them free niggers
till they done disremembered they was 'mancipated."

"What would you say, Aunt Mary, if Kent should bring a wife back to
Chatsworth?" asked Molly.

"Well, if it is that there Judy gal, I'd say, 'Glory be!' She's sho jes'
lak our own folks, if she do say her ma and pa ain't never owned they
own home, but always been renters. That don' sound zactly lak quality,
but