me a seat; but a uppish young yaller one stopped him an' made him
teck me back and stick me in a corner behind a pillar. But he did n't
stick me so fur back 't dey did n't fine me when dey tecked up de money.
When I put in dat fif'-cent you gi' me, he jumped like a pin had stick
him. I dropped 't in so 't would soun', I tell you!"

This gave Mrs. Graeme an idea, and she encouraged her to go again the
following Sunday, and this time gave her a dollar to put in the plate.

"Be sure and drop it in so it will sound," she said to her.

"I 'm gwine to."

"Well, how did you come out to-dayf" she asked her on her return.

"Right well. Dey did n't stick me quite so fur back, and when I drap de
dollar in dey wuz several on 'em lookin', and when de chutch was over
dey come runnin' arter me, an', tell me ef I come next time dey 'll have
a good seat for me. I 'm gwine agin, but fust thing dey know I 'm gwine
to fool 'em. I ain't gwine put a dollar in agin, I know."

Mrs. Graeme laughed. "Oh! you must pay for being in society. We all do."

"I know _I_ ain't," declared the old woman, "and I don't reckon you
gwine to gi' me a dollar ev 'y Sunday."

"I certainly am not. I am only getting you launched."

The following week Mrs. Graeme said to her husband, "I think Mammy is
launched. The preacher came to the front door to-day and asked to see
Mrs. Quivers. At first I did not know whom he meant. Then he said it
was 'a colored lady.' You never saw any one so gotten up--silk hat, kid
gloves, and ebony cane. And Mammy was quite set up by it. She says the
preacher is from home and knew Caesar. She was really airy afterward."

Mr. Graeme uttered an objurgation. "You will ruin that old woman, and
with her the best old negro that ever was."

"Oh, no," said Mrs. Graeme, "there is no danger of that. You could n't
spoil her."

A few weeks later she said: "Yes, Mammy is launched. She told me to-day
she wanted to join the club, and when I asked, what club, she said, 'the
Colored Ladies Siciety Club.'" "I should say she was launched," sniffed
Mr. Graeme. "She told me she wanted her money to invest it herself. The
old fool! They will rob her of it."

III

The weeks that followed, and Mam' Lyddy's immersion in "Siciety" began
apparently to justify Mr. Graeme's prophecy. A marked change had taken
place in the old woman's dress, and no less a change had taken place in
herself. She began to go out a good deal, and her manner was quite n