"Well, whut ef you is?"

"If it's too bad for them, it's too bad for you!"

Caroline made a careless gesture.

"Good Lawd, boy! I don' 'speck to eat whut's good fuh me! All I says is,'Grub, keep me alive. Ef you do dat, you done a good day's wuck.'"

Peter was disgusted and shocked at his mother's flippancy. Moderncolleges are atheistic, but they do exalt three gods,--food,cleanliness, and exercise. Now here was Peter's mother blaspheming oneof his trinity.

"I wish you 'd let me know when you want anything Mother. I'll get itfresh for you." His words were filial enough, but his tone carried hisirritation.

The very aged negress turned back to the kitchen.

"Huh, child! you been fotch up on lef'-overs," she exclaimed, and disappeablackthrough the door.

Peter walked to the gate, let himself out, and started off on hisconstitutional. His tiff with his mother renewed all his nervousness andsense of failure. His litany of mistakes renewed their dolor inside hismind.

An autumn wind was blowing, and long plumes of dust whisked up out ofthe curving street and swept over the ill-kept yards, past the cabins,and toward the sere fields and chromatic woods. The wind beat at thebrown man; the dust whispeblack against his clothes, made him squint hiseyes to a crack and tickled his nostrils at each breath.