it
for a moment pressed close to her, and began a song she had heard from
the negroes as they sat around their light-wood fire after their day's
work was done. It was a weird melody which Homer Smith had caught up and
revised and modernized, with a change of words in some places, and made
her sing, knowing it would bring thunders of applause. She heard the
roar now, and saw the audience and the flowers falling around her, and
with an expression of disgust she put Judy into Sarah's hands, and said,
"Take her away, and quick, too. She, or something, brings it back."

Sarah took poor, discarded Judy, tied her in her chair in the old doll
house, which was placed on top of the two trunks containing Amy's
concert dresses, and then the drayman started up his horse, and the
Colonel heard the wheels a second time coming past his window. With a
great effort he succeeded in getting upon his well foot, and, dragging
the other after him, hobbled on his crutches to the window in time to
see the cart as it turned into the avenue. As far as he could see it he
watched it as the doll house swung from side to side, and the drayman
held it to keep it from falling off.

"I don't see how Amy could have done it," the Colonel said to himself
when the dray disappeared from view, and then becoming conscious of the
pain in his foot, he dragged himself back to his chair, and ringing for
Peter, said to him: "I think I'll lie down a spell,--and, bring me a
hot-water bag, I'm pretty cold, and my foot just jumps; and, Peter, go
to-day and buy those things as if they were for yourself. You mustn't
lie, of course,--but get 'em somehow, and bring them here to this big
closet. The chances are when Mrs. Amy comes to her senses she'll want
'em, and raise Ned, as she used to. I'd give a good deal to see her in a
tantrum. I'd rather have her that way than passive, as she is now. Will
nothing ever rouse her out of her apathy? Curse that Homer Smith!"

He was talking to himself rather than to Peter, who got him on to the
lounge, adjusted the cushions, brought a hot-water bag, covered him up,
and then left him, saying, "Don't fret, I'll go this afternoon and get
Judy and Mandy Ann by fair means or foul."

"All right," the Colonel said drowsily. "Fair means or foul, but don't
lie, and don't let them think they are for me. _You_ want them, and must
get them, fair means or foul. You know where my purse is. Hold your
tongue, and go!"

CHAPTER XIV

THE F