settin' up to de cook now, I
b'lieve."

There was a slow, heavy step without, and a knock at the back door; and
on a call from his mistress, Jabez entered, bowing low, very pompous and
serious. He was a curious mixture of assurance and conciliation, as he
stood there, hat in hand. He was tall and black and bald, with white
side-whiskers cut very short, and a rim of white wool around his head.
He was dressed in an old black coat, and held in his hand an ancient
beaver hat around which was a piece of rusty crape.

"Well, Jabez?" said his mistress, after the salutations were over, "How
are you getting along!"

"Well, mist'is, not very well, not at all well, ma'am. Had mighty bad
luck. 'Bout my wife," he added, explanatorily. He pulled down his lips,
and looked the picture of solemnity.

I saw from Mrs. Meriwether's mystified look that she did not know what
he considered "bad luck." She could not tell from his reference whether
his wife was better or worse.

"Is she--ah? What--oh--how is Amanda?" she demanded finally, to solve
the mystery.

"Mandy! Lord! 'm, 'Mandy was two back. She 's de one runned away wid Tom
Halleck, an' lef' me. I don't know how _she_ is. I never went ahter
her. I wuz re-ally glad to git shet o' her. She was too expansive. Dat
ooman want two frocks a year. When dese women begin to dress up so much,
a man got to look out. Dee ain't always dressin' fer _you!_"

"Indeed!" But Mrs. Meriwether's irony was lost on Jabez.

"Yes, 'm; dat she did! Dis one 's name was Sairey." He folded his hands
and waited, the picture of repose and contentment.

"Oh, yes. So; true. I 'd forgotten that 'Mandy left you. But I thought
the new one was named Susan!" observed Mrs. Meriwether.

"No, 'm; not de _newes_' one. Susan--I had her las' Christmas; but she
would n' stay wid me. She was al'ays runnin' off to town; an' you know a
man don' want a ooman on wheels. Ef de Lawd had intended a ooman to have
wheels, he 'd 'a' gi'n 'em to her, would n' he?"

"Well, I suppose he would," assented Mrs. Meriwether. "And this one is
Sarah? Well, how is----?"

"Yes, 'm; dis one was Sairey." We just caught the past tense.

"You get them so quickly, you see, you can't expect one to remember
them," said Mrs. Meriwether, frigidly. She meant to impress Jabez; but
Jabez remained serene.

"Yes, 'm; dat 's so," said he, cheerfully. "I kin hardly remember 'em
myself."

"No, I suppose not." His mistress grew severe. "Well, how 's Sa