ant. Lawd, Lawd,
spar dis niggah! You doesn't want no ole worman like me. You--"

"Hush, Aunt Fanny! It's only Bee. Don't you know me?"

Beatrice crept out of her hiding place and arose to her feet. Aunt Fanny
gave a suppressed cry and sank back in her chair, staring at the girl in
open-eyed wonder.

"You, you ain't no Miss Bee," she gasped.

"Yes, I am. I just had my hair fixed at the hairdresser's this
afternoon, and I have on that jimpson poultice you told me about. I came
down stairs to get a book and frightened the robbers away. I want to go
upstairs now before father comes back so he won't see me."

"Yas; go on up stairs," said Aunt Fanny severely, now completely
reassured. "Yer pa mustn't see you like dat. He won't 'prove ob no sech
doin's, an' I doesn't eider. Yaller ha'r! Looks like flax! No'm; yer pa
oughtn't ter see yer."

"Then don't say a word about seeing me," cautioned Bee, turning to go.
"You won't, will you?"

"I ain't gwine ter say nuffin'. 'Tain't none ob my lookout ef yer wants
ter spile yer ha'r. I ain't gwine ter hab nuffin' ter do wid hit,"
returned the negress with dignity.

So, feeling very much like a culprit, Bee stole upstairs. Presently she
heard her father re-enter the house, and soon there came a rap on her
door.

"What is it?" she asked from under the cover which, girl like, she had
drawn over her as soon as she was safely in bed.

"Are you all right, Beatrice?" came her father's voice.

"Yes father."

"Don't be alarmed, but--" Dr. Raymond hesitated, evidently considering
whether it would be best to tell her about the intruders. "You are not
nervous, are you?"

"No----o;" answered Bee weakly. She was.

She would have liked to have somebody cuddle her for a time, but--there
was that awful mask.

"If you should be disturbed about anything, Beatrice, just call me. I
shall be in the next room, where I shall read for the remainder of the
night."

"Thank you, father," said the girl gratefully. "I was afraid, but I
won't be now."

"Then good night."

"Good night, father," replied the maiden who little guessed that her
father went away from her door wondering and perplexed that she did not
come out to speak with him, and to find what was the matter.

Her father's near presence brought so much of comfort to Bee's heart
that she found herself forgetting all about the discomfort of the
jimpson, and after a time she fell into a troubled sleep.

Chapter VII

The Res