“Miss Mary Jane, is there any place out of town a little ways where you could go and stay three or four days?”

“Yes; Mr. Lothrop’s. Why?”

“Never mind why yet. If I’ll tell you how I know the niggers will see each other again — inside of two weeks — here in this house — and prove how I know it — will you go to Mr.

Lothrop’s and stay four days?”

“Four days!” she says; “I’ll stay a year!”

“All right,” I says, “I don’t want nothing more out of you than just your word — I druther have it than another man’s kiss-the-Bible.” She smiled and reddened up very sweet, and I says,