en staring popeyed during the conversation, dashed away toward the
paddock, to rush upon Shelby with a wild tale of "dat lady f'om de norf
was a-sassin' Missie Peggy jist scan'lous and orderin' Shelby fer to
come quick ter holp her."

"What you a-talking about, you little fool nigger?" demanded Shelby.
Then gathering that something was amiss with the little mistress whom
all upon the estate adored, he hastened to the house, his face somewhat
troubled, for hints of the doings up there had penetrated even to his
quarters.

"Shelby, please take Star and Roy back to the paddock and be sure to
fasten them in."

"Ain't they a-goin' with you, Miss Peggy?"

"Not this morning, Shelby."

The man looked from the girl to the lady now settling herself in the
carriage. Toinette still stood upon the piazza waiting to be lifted up
to her mistress, too fat and too foolish to even go down the steps
alone. As Shelby stepped toward the horses Mrs. Stewart waved her hand
toward the dog and said to him:

"Lift Toinette into the surrey."

Shelby paid no more attention to her than he paid to the quarreling jays
in the holly trees, and the order was sharply repeated.

"Oh, are you a-speakin' to me, ma'am?" he then said.

"Certainly. I wish my dog handed to me."

Shelby looked at the pampered poodle and then at its mistress. Then with
a guileless smile remarked:

"Now you don't sesso? Well, when I git back to the paddock with these
here horses what can't go 'long with Miss Peggy, I'll send a little
nigger boy up here for ter boost your dog up to you, but _I_ tend
_horses_ on this here place."

The man's dark skin grew several shades darker owing to the blood which
flooded his cheeks, and his eyes narrowed as he looked for one second
straight into Mrs. Stewart's. What possessed the woman to antagonize
everyone with whom she came in touch? Shelby had never laid eyes upon
her until that moment, but that moment had confirmed his dislike
conceived from the reports which had come to him. He now went up to the
horses. Knowing that neither of them had halters on, he had brought two
with him and now slipped them over his charges' heads, saying as he did
so:

"You've got to come 'long back with me and keep company manners, do you
know that, you disrepu'ble gad-abouts? You ain't never had no proper
eddicatin' an' now it's a-goin' to begin for fa'r. You-all are goin' ter
be larnt citified manners hot off the bat. So come 'long back to the