ewise, he say he ain'. But he cain't stan' up.
Hit's his laig. Dey done pull him outen de ditch, wid it dubble unner
him."

She let him go and listened to his retreating footsteps down the
street into the darkness. She felt suddenly faint and weak. She walked
back to the house, entered the sitting room, and lit a candle. Then
she went to Miss Susie's door and opened it.

Miss Susie's eyes were looking calmly at her from the bed as she
entered. "What's the matter?" said Miss Susie's voice.

"He was here just an hour ago. I saw him go down the street. And now
they're bringing him back, broken. Just an hour! God knows what
happened to him."

"Who do you mean, child?" Miss Susie moved forward and raised up a
little on her elbow.

"It just seems as if the hand of Fate was stretching out over this
place, reaching down over us. It makes no difference what we do--we're
helpless--all of us." She seemed to steady herself. She came over to
the bedside and laid her hand on Miss Susie's forehead.

"Don't you want me to bring you a drink of water?" she asked.

CHAPTER XX

Directly after breakfast she went to the Mosby place. The sunlight was
making glaring white patches on the pavement, of which she was but
dimly conscious as she walked along. The house looked very peaceful,
with the mellowness of respectable old age, that fresh October
morning. She climbed the steps to the front door, feeling a little
self-conscious as she stood and waited. It was possible that she was
borrowing trouble; the accident might not prove to have been a serious
one at all and she might seem too solicitous.

The door opened and a very old Negro woman in a stiff, white, starched
apron stood and peered forth at her.

"Mrs. Mosby in?" she asked.

The old woman ducked her head and held open the door. "I see." And
then she waddled off. Half-way down the dim hallway she turned, paused
a moment, and then came back. She went to a tall door, on the left
side of the hall, and pushed it open, casting up a furtive eye at Mary
Louise as she did so. A wave of clammy air rushed forth and there was
a faint crackling as of dried leaves back in the darkness. "Won' you
set down?" said the old woman.

Mary Louise realized how early she had come; she had quite disturbed
the usual order of things. "No, thank you," she said. "I'll just wait
here in the hall."

The woman waddled away again and disappeared through a back door which
wheezed shut with a sor