ghtly
as if it had been the box which contained her treasures.

"I've said sometimes," continued Dolf, "dat if de day shud eber come
when dat parathon ob her sex made up her mind ter gib her loved hand to
some true bussom, she'd probably whisper musical in his ear de secret
she has kept from all de wuld."

Clo was divided between the tenderness awakened by these words and the
vigilance with which she always guarded the outposts leading to her
cherished secret.

"Ain't dat sense, Miss Clorindy?" demanded Dolf, getting impatient.

"I hain't said it warn't," she replied.

"Dis wuld is full ob mercenary men," Dolf went on, "searchin' fur de
filty lucre; I'se glad I neber was one ob dem. I allers has 'spised de
dross; gib me lobe, I says, and peace wid de fair one ob my choice, and
I asks no more."

Clo played with her apron string again, and looked modestly down.

But Dolf did not know exactly what to say next without committing
himself more deeply than he desired; indeed, he had been led on now
considerably farther than he could wish, but that was unavoidable.

"Not but what fortins is desirous," he said, "'cause in dis wuld people
must lib."

Clo assented gently to that self-evident proposition.

"Do yer know what I'se often tought, Miss Clorindy," said Dolf, starting
on a new tack.

"'Spect I don't," said Clo.

"I'se wished many a time, more lately'n I used ter, dat I could take
some fair cretur I lobed ter my heart, and dat 'tween us we had money
'nuff ter start a restauration or sometin' ob dat sort."

Clo sniffed a little.

"In dem places de wurk all comes on de woman," said she.

Dolf was quite aware of that fact; it was the one thing which made him
contemplate the idea with favor.

"Oh, not at all," he said, "de cookin's a trifle; tink ob de 'counts; my
head's good at figures."

"Dey kind o' puzzles me," Clo confided to him softly.

"Tain't 'spected in the fair sect," said Dolf; "dey nebber ort to
trouble 'emselves 'bout sich matters."

Then Dolf sighed.

"Yer wonders what's de matter," he said; "I was jis lamentin' dat I
hadn't been able to save as much as I could wish, so dat I could realise
sich a dream."

"Laws," cried Clo, so agitated and confused she was about to speak the
words he so longed to hear; "how much wud it take? Does yer tink dat if
a woman had--"

"I say Clo, where be yer?"

The interruption was a cruel one to both the darkeys, though from
different reasons; the voic