who had deserted her, and who probably never had for her more
than a passing fancy, of which he was ashamed and would gladly ignore.

"'I showed him de book,' Jake said, 'an' tole him how she tried to larn,
an' I tried to help her all I could, an' then he did have some feelin'
an' his eyes got red, but he didn't drap a tear; no, sar, not a drap! He
ast me could he have de book, an' I said, "No, sar, not for nothin'.
It's mine," an' he said, proud-like, "As you please." He was mighty good
to me an' Mandy Ann 'bout money, an' when I writ him she was married, he
sent her two hundred dollars, which she 'vested in a house, or Ted would
of spent it for fine close an' cigarettes. He must be gettin' ole, as I
be, an' they call de town Crompton, after him, 'stid of Troutburg.'

"Remembering your parish, I told him I had a son settled in Crompton,
Massachusetts. I hardly thought there were two towns of the same name
in one State, and I'd inquire if Col. Crompton lived there. His face
brightened at once, and when I left him, he grasped my hand and said,
'Bress de Lawd for de grain of comfort you done give me. If she is thar
I'd walk all de road from Floridy to see her, if I couldn't git thar no
other way. Thankee, Mas'r Mason, for comin' to see me. I'se pretty
reg'lar at church, an' sets by de do', an' allus gives a nickel for
myself an' one for Miss Dory dead an' for Miss Dory livin', an' I makes
Mandy Ann 'tend all I can, though she'd rather go whar she says it's
livelier. She is mighty good to me,--comes ebery week an' clars up an'
scoles me for gittin' so dirty. She's great on a scrub, Mandy Ann is.
Muss you go? Well, I'm glad you comed, an' I s'pec's I've tole you some
things twiste, 'case of my memory. Good-by.'

"He accompanied me to the door, and shook hands with all the grace of a
born gentleman. Then I left him, but have been haunted ever since by a
picture of that old negro in his lonely cabin, jogging that empty cradle
nights when he cannot sleep, and contrasting him with Col. Crompton,
whoever and wherever he may be. Perhaps you can throw some light on the
subject. The world is not so very wide that our sins are not pretty sure
to find us out, and that some Col. Crompton has been guilty of a great
wrong seems certain. Possibly he is one of your parishioners, and you
may know something of the second Dory. I shall await your answer with
some anxiety.

"Your father,

"CHARLES MASON."

This was the letter which had