nd barely
escaped the lye hominy.

"A hundred dollars doesn't go very far," said Lil contemptuously.

"Well, chillen, in my young days dat waz pretty much of a sum--sho's yo'
born it waz."

"Things are different now; and besides, Maum' Hepsey, you don't know how
a dressed-up lady ought to look."

"Highty-tighty!" said maum', while her eyes sparkled alarmingly. "As if
I ain't seen mo' finery in a month dan you has in every blessed year of
your life! Lor'! when my young mars' brung his bride over from Orleans
dat chile didn't have a gownd in her trunk dat warn't made of Injy silk;
an' she did look han'some a-trailin' round in 'em. An' you tell me I
donno what fine dressin' is! Go 'long, chile! you've lost your manners."

Maum' Hepsey was really offended, and I hastened to soothe her: "Lil
only meant that you didn't know how the ladies dressed now. We are to
have two new dresses, maum', but Lilly's trouble is that she hasn't any
jewelry."

She shook her turbaned head: "Jewelry costs a sight of money, honey. My
young mis', she had a ring on her finger wid a stun in it like a star.
'Twarn't no bigger 'n a baby hazelnut, but, sho's yo' born, chillen, dat
ring cost _ten hundred dollars_!"

"That was a diamond," said Lilly in an awed voice. "I never expect to
have one if I live to be a thousand years old."

"Chillen," said Maum' Hepsey, lowering her voice, "why don't you git
Miss Nanny to let you open dat trunk in de attic?"

"Whose is it, Maum' Hepsey?"

"Lor', honey! didn't you never hear 'bout dat trunk? It was lef' wid
your Uncle David for sto'age durin' de war. A slim, dark-complected
young man brought it one evenin' about sundown, an' from dat day to dis
none of us has ever set eyes on him."

"What do you suppose became of him?"

"De good Lord knows, honey. Mos' likely he waz killed: men dropped down
like oleander-blossoms in de high winds in dem dreadful days. Now, I
shouldn't wonder, chillen, if dar waz _money_ in dat trunk."

"So there might be," said Lilly with a start.

"It must ha' held somethin' valerble," said Maum' Hepsey, looking like a
solemn old owl, "else why should he ha' been so mighty pertickeler 'bout
havin' it stored safe? Den, ag'in, he must ha' been killed, else why
shouldn't he ha' come back for it? An' why should we let de
things--whatever is in it--moulder away, instead o' gettin' de good of
'em like sensible folks?"

"We shouldn't have any right," said I doubtfully.

"Oh shoo,