y
keep me 'wake when dat's de case.

"Dar I sot in dat ar high-back cheer, Miss Vallie rufflin' an' flutin'
sump'n, an' tryin' ter make me talk, an' my head rollin' 'roun' like my
neck done broke. Bimeby, _blam_! _blam_! come on de do'. We got one
er dem ar jinglin' bells now, suh, but in dem times we had a knocker,
an' it soun' like de roof fallin' in. I like ter jumped out'n my skin.
Miss Vallie drapped her conflutements an' low, 'What in de worl'! Aunt
Minervy Ann, go ter de do.'

"Well, suh, I went, but I ain't had no heart in it, bekaze I ain't know
who it mought be, an' whar dey come fum, an' what dey want. But I
went. 'Twuz me er Miss Vallie, an' I wan't gwine ter let dat chile go,
not dat time er night, dough 'twa'n't so mighty late.

"I open de do' on de crack, I did, an' low, 'Who dat?' Somebody make
answer, 'Is de Major in, Aunt Minervy Ann?' an' I know'd right den it
wuz Marse Paul Conant. An' it come over me dat he had sump'n ter do
wid sendin' er dem contraptions, mo' 'speshually dat ar bob-tail hoss.
An' den, too, suh, lots quicker'n I kin tell it, hit come over me dat
he been axin' me lots 'bout Miss Vallie. All come 'cross my min', suh,
whiles I pullin' de do' open.

"I low, I did, 'No, suh; Marse Tumlin gone down town fer ter look atter
some business, but he sho ter come back terreckly. Won't you come in,
suh, an' wait fer 'im?' He sorter flung his head back an' laugh, saft
like, an' say, 'I don't keer ef I do, Aunt Minervy Ann.'

"I low, 'Walk right in de parlor, suh, an' I'll make a light mos' 'fo'
you kin turn 'roun'. He come in, he did, an' I lit de lamp, an' time I
lit 'er she 'gun ter smoke. Well, suh, he tuck dat lamp, run de wick
up an' down a time er two, an' dar she wuz, bright ez day.

"When I went back in de room whar Miss Vallie wuz at, she wuz stan'in'
dar lookin' skeer'd. She say, 'Who dat?' I 'low, 'Hit's Marse Paul
Conant, dat's who 'tis.' She say, 'What he want?' I low, 'Nothin'
much; he does come a-courtin'. Better jump up an' not keep 'im
waitin'.'

"Well, suh, you could 'a' knock'd 'er down wid a fedder. She stood dar
wid 'er han' on 'er th'oat takin' short breffs, des like a little bird
does when it flies in de winder an' dunner how ter fly out ag'in.

"Bimeby, she say, 'Aunt Minervy Ann, you ought ter be 'shame or
yo'se'f! I know dat man when I see 'im, an' dat's all.' I low,
'Honey, you know mighty well he ain't come callin'. But he wanter see
Marse