esought her to tell "who done hurt ma baby? Tell
Mammy what brecken' yo' heart, honey-chile."

For a few moments Peggy could not reply, and Mammy was upon the point of
rushing off for Harrison when Peggy laid a detaining hand upon her and
commanded:

"Stop, Mammy! You must not call Harrison or anyone else. There is really
nothing the matter. I'm just a silly girl to act like this and I'm
thoroughly ashamed of myself." Then she wiped her eyes and strove to
check a rebellious sob.

"Quit triflin'! Kingdom-come, is yo' think I'se come ter ma dotage? When
is I see you a cryin' like dis befo'? Not sense yo' was kitin' roun' de
lot an' fall down an' crack yo' haid. Yo' ain' been de yellin',
squallin' kind, an' when yo' begins at dis hyar day an' age fer ter
shed tears dar's somethin' pintedly wrong, an' yo' needn' tell me dar
ain't. Now out wid it."

Mammy was usually fiercest when she felt most deeply and now she was
stirred to the very depth of her soul.

"Why, Mammy, I don't believe I could tell you what I'm crying for if I
tried," and Peggy smiled as she rested her head upon the shoulder which
had never failed her.

"Well, den, tell me what yo' _ain't_ cryin' fo', kase ef yo' ain't
cryin' fer somethin' yo' _want_ yo' shore mus' be a-crying fo' somethin'
yo' _don't_ want," was Mammy's bewildering argument. "An' I bait yo' I
ain't gotter go far fer ter ketch de thing yo' _don'_ want neither," and
the old woman looked ready to deal with that same cause once it came
within her grasp.

Peggy straightened up. This order of things would never do. If she acted
like a spoiled child simply because someone to whom she had taken an
instinctive dislike had come into her home, she would presently have the
whole household demoralized.

"Mammy, listen to me."

Instinctively the blood of generations of servitude responded to Peggy's
tone.

"I have been terribly rude to a guest. I lost my temper and I'm ashamed
of myself."

"What did you say to her, baby?"

"I didn't say anything, I just acted outrageously."

"An' what _she_ been a-sayin' ter yo'?"

Peggy only colored.

Mammy nodded her bead significantly. "Ain't I _know_ dat! Yo' cyant tell
_me_ nothin' 'bout de Stewart blood. No-siree! I know it from Alphy to
Omegy; backards an' forrards. Now we-all kin look out fer trouble ahead.
But I'se got dis fer ter say: Some fools jist nachelly go a-prancin' an'
a-cavortin' inter places whar de angils outen heaven dassent no m