"Lor', child, who was it as married of her?"

"I cannot tell you. I am bound to secrecy."

The old negress shook her head slowly and doubtfully.

"I's no misdoubts as she was innocenter dan a lamb, herself, for she do

look it as she lay dar wid de heabenly smile frozen on her face; but I

do misdoubts dese secrety marriages; I 'siders ob 'em no 'count. Ten to

one, honey, de poor forso'k sinner as married her has anoder wife

some'ers."

Without knowing it the old woman had hit the exact truth.

Hannah sighed deeply, and wondered silently how it was that neither

Dinah nor Jovial had ever once suspected their young master to be the

man.

Old Dinah perceived that her conversation distressed Hannah, and so she

threw off her bonnet and cloak and set herself to work to help the poor

bereaved sister.

There was enough to occupy both women. There was the dead mother to be

prepared for burial, and there was the living child to be cared far.

By the time that they had laid Nora out in her only white dress, and had

fed the babe and put it to sleep, and cleaned up the cottage, the winter

day had drawn to its close and the room was growing dark.

Old Dinah, thinking it was time to light up, took a home-dipped candle

from the cupboard, and seeing a piece of soiled paper on the table,

actually lighted her candle with a check for five thousand dollars!

And thus it happened that the poor boy who, without any fault of his

mother, had come into the world with a stigma on his birth, now, without

any neglect of his father, was left in a state of complete destitution

as well as of entire orphanage.

On the Tuesday following her death poor Nora Worth was laid in her

humble grave under a spreading oak behind the hut.

This spot was selected by Hannah, who wished to keep her sister's last

resting-place always in her sight, and who insisted that every foot of

God's earth, enclosed or unenclosed--consecrated or unconsecrated--was

holy ground.

Jim Morris, Professor of Odd Jobs for the country side, made the coffin,

dug the grave, and managed the funeral.

The Rev. William Wynne, the minister who had performed the fatal nuptial

ceremony of the fair bride, read the funeral services over her dead

body.

No one was present at the burial but Hannah Worth, Reuben Gray, the two

old negroes, Dinah and Jovial, the Professor of Odd Jobs, and the

officiating clergyman.




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