Part 43 (1/2)

XLVII.

LEVITICUS

The two maidens were still laughing as they re-entered their gate.

Fannie threw an arm st.u.r.dily around her companion's waist and sought to repeat the pantomime, but checked herself at the sight of a buggy drawing near.

It was old, misshapen, and caked with wet and dry mud, as also was the mule which drew it. In the vehicle sat three persons. Two were negro women. One of them--of advanced years--was in a full bloom of crisp calico under a flaring bonnet which must have long pa.s.sed its teens. The other was young and very black. She wore a tawdry hat that only helped to betray her general slovenliness. From between them a negro man was rising and dismounting. A wide-brimmed, crackled beaver rested on his fluffy gray locks, and there was the gentleness of old age in his face.

The spring sap seemed to have started anew in the elder woman's veins.

She t.i.ttered as she scrambled to rise, and when the old man offered to help her, she eyed him with mock scorn and waved him off.

”G'way fum me, 'Viticus Wisdom--gallivantin' round here like we was young niggehs!--Lawd! my time is come I cayn't git up; my bones dun tuk dis-yeh shape to staay!”

”Come, come!” said the husband, in an undertone of amiable chiding; and the buggy gave a jerk of thankful relief as its princ.i.p.al burden left it for the sidewalk, diffusing the sweet smell of the ironing-table.

While the younger woman was making her mincing descent, f.a.n.n.y and Barbara came toward them in the walk.

”Miss Halliday,” said Leviticus, lifting his beaver and bowing across the gate, ”in response to yo' invite we--O bless the Lawd my soul! is that my little--Miss Barb, is that you?”

Before he could say more Virginia threw both hands high. ”Faw de Lawd's sake!” She thrust her husband aside. ”G'way, n.i.g.g.ah! lemme th'oo dis-yeh gate 'fo' I go ove' it!” She s.n.a.t.c.hed Barbara to her bosom. ”Lawd, honey! Lawd, honey! Ef anybody 'spec' you' ole Aunt Fudjinny to stan'

off an' axe her baby howdy dey bettah go to de crazy house! Lawd! Lawd!

dis de fus' chance I had to hug my own baby since I been a po' ole free n.i.g.g.ah!” She held the laughing girl off by the shoulders.

”Honey, ef it's my las' ac', I”--she s.n.a.t.c.hed her close again, kissed one cheek twice and the other thrice, and held her off once more to fix upon her a tearful, ravis.h.i.+ng gaze. ”Lawd, honey, Johanna done tole me how you growin' to favo' my sweet Miss Rose, an' I see it at de fun'l when I can't much mo'n speak to you, an' cry so I cayn't hardly see you; but Lawd! my sweet baby, dough you cayn't neveh supersede her in good looks, you jess as quiet an' beautiful as de sweet-potateh floweh!

”Howdy, Miss Fannie?” She gave her hand and courtesied.

”Howdy, Uncle Leviticus?” said Barbara.

The old man lifted his hat again, bowed very low, and looked very happy.

”I'm tol'able well, Miss Barb, thank the Lawd, an' hope an' trus' an'

pray you're of the same complexion.” Still including Barbara in his audience, he went on with an address to Fannie already begun.

”You know, Miss Fannie, yo' letteh say fo' Aunt Fudjinny an' me to come the twentieth--ya.s.s, ma'am, we understan'--but, you know, Mr. Mahch, he come down an' superscribe faw this young--ah----”

”Girl,” suggested Barbara, with pretty condescension; but Fannie covertly trod on her toe and said, ”lady,” with a twinkle at the dowdy maiden.

”P'ecisely!” responded Leviticus to both speakers at once. ”An' Mr.

Mahch, he was bereft o' any way to fetch her to he's maw less'n he taken her up behime o' his saddle, an' so it seem' like the Lawd's call faw us to come right along an' bring her hencefah, an' then, if she an' his maw fin' theyse'ves agreeable, then Mr. Mahch--which his buggy happn to be here in Suez--'llow to give her his transpotes the balance o' the way to-morrow in hit.”

”And you and Aunt Virginia will stay through the golden wedding as our chief butler and chief baker, as I wrote you; will you?”

”Well, er, eh”--the old man scratched his head--”tha.s.s the question, Miss Fannie. Tha.s.s what I been a-revolvin', an' I sees two views faw revolution. On one side there is the fittenness o' we two faw this work.”

”It's glaring,” mused Fannie.

”Flagrant,” as gravely suggested Barbara.

”P'ecisely! Faw, as you say in yo' letteh, we two was chief butler an'