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soon appeared； a great facility of complimentary speech。 On his
introduction Mr。 Wain bowed low； assumed an air of great admiration； and
expressed his extreme delight in making the acquaintance of so
distinguished…looking a lady。
〃You're flatt'rin' me； Mr。 Wain；〃 returned Mis' Molly； with a gratified
smile。 〃But you want to meet my daughter befo' you commence th'owin'
bokays。 Excuse my leavin' youI'll go an' fetch her。〃
She returned in a moment； followed by Rena。 〃Mr。 Wain； 'low me to
int'oduce you to my daughter Rena。 Rena； this is Ma'y B。's cousin on her
pappy's side； who's come up from Sampson to git a school…teacher。〃
Rena bowed gracefully。 Wain stared a moment in genuine
astonishment； and then bent himself nearly double； keeping his eyes fixed
meanwhile upon Rena's face。 He had expected to see a pretty yellow girl；
but had been prepared for no such radiant vision of beauty as this which
now confronted him。
〃Doesdoes you mean ter say； Mis' Walden； datdat dis young lady is
yo' own daughter？〃 he stammered； rallying his forces for action。
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〃Why not； Mr。 Wain？〃 asked Mis' Molly； bridling with mock
resentment。 〃Do you mean ter 'low that she wuz changed in her cradle；
er is she too good…lookin' to be my daughter？〃
〃My deah Mis' Walden！ it 'ud be wastin' wo'ds fer me ter say dat dey
ain' no young lady too good… lookin' ter be yo' daughter； but you're lookin'
so young yo'sef dat I'd ruther take her fer yo' sister。〃
〃Yas；〃 rejoined Mis' Molly； with animation； 〃they ain't many years
between us。 I wuz ruther young myself when she wuz bo'n。〃
〃An'； mo'over；〃 Wain went on； 〃it takes me a minute er so ter git my
min' use' ter thinkin' er Mis' Rena as a cullud young lady。 I mought 'a'
seed her a hund'ed times； an' I'd 'a' never dreamt but w'at she wuz a w'ite
young lady； f'm one er de bes' families。〃
〃Yas； Mr。 Wain；〃 replied Mis' Molly complacently； 〃all three er my
child'en wuz white； an' one of 'em has be'n on the other side fer many long
years。 Rena has be'n to school； an' has traveled； an' has had chances
better chances than anybody roun' here knows。〃
〃She's jes' de lady I'm lookin' fer； ter teach ou' school；〃 rejoined Wain；
with emphasis。 〃Wid her schoolin' an' my riccommen'； she kin git a fus'…
class ce'tifikit an' draw fo'ty dollars a month； an' a lady er her color kin
keep a lot er little niggers straighter 'n a darker lady could。 We jus' got
ter have her ter teach ou' schoolef we kin git her。〃
Rena's interest in the prospect of employment at her chosen work was
so great that she paid little attention to Wain's compliments。 Mis' Molly
led Mary B。 away to the kitchen on some pretext； and left Rena to
entertain the gentleman。 She questioned him eagerly about the school；
and he gave the most glowing accounts of the elegant school… house； the
bright pupils； and the congenial society of the neighborhood。 He spoke
almost entirely in superlatives； and； after making due allowance for what
Rena perceived to be a temperamental tendency to exaggeration； she
concluded that she would find in the school a worthy field of usefulness；
and in this polite and good…natured though somewhat wordy man a
coadjutor upon whom she could rely in her first efforts； for she was not
over…confident of her powers； which seemed to grow less as the way
opened for their exercise。
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〃Do you think I'm competent to teach the school？〃 she asked of the
visitor； after stating some of her qualifications。
〃Oh； dere 's no doubt about it； Miss Rena；〃 replied Wain； who had
listened with an air of great wisdom； though secretly aware that he was too
ignorant of letters to form a judgment； 〃you kin teach de school all right；
an' could ef you didn't know half ez much。 You won't have no trouble
managin' de child'en； nuther。 Ef any of 'em gits onruly； jes' call on me fer
he'p； an' I'll make 'em walk Spanish。 I'm chuhman er de school
committee； an' I'll lam de hide off'n any scholar dat don' behave。 You kin
trus' me fer dat； sho' ez I'm a…settin' here。〃
〃Then；〃 said Rena； 〃I'll undertake it； and do my best。 I'm sure you'll
not be too exacting。〃
〃Yo' bes'； Miss Rena；'ll be de bes' dey is。 Don' you worry ner fret。
Dem niggers won't have no other teacher after dey've once laid eyes on
you： I'll guarantee dat。 Dere won't be no trouble； not a bit。〃
〃Well； Cousin Molly；〃 said Mary B。 to Mis' Molly in the kitchen； 〃how
does the plan strike you？〃
〃Ef Rena's satisfied； I am；〃 replied Mis' Molly。 〃But you'd better say
nothin' about ketchin' a beau； or any such foolishness； er else she'd be just
as likely not to go nigh Sampson County。〃
〃Befo' Cousin Jeff goes back；〃 confided Mary B。； 〃I'd like ter give 'im
a party； but my house is too small。 I wuz wonderin'；〃 she added
tentatively； 〃ef I could n' borry yo' house。〃
〃Shorely； Ma'y B。 I'm int'rested in Mr。 Wain on Rena's account； an' it's
as little as I kin do to let you use my house an' help you git things ready。〃
The date of the party was set for Thursday night； as Wain was to leave
Patesville on Friday morning； taking with him the new teacher。 The
party would serve the double purpose of a compliment to the guest and a
farewell to Rena； and it might prove the precursor； the mother secretly
hoped； of other festivities to follow at some later date。
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XXII
IMPERATIVE BUSINESS
One Wednesday morning； about six weeks after his return home；
Tryon received a letter from Judge Straight with reference to the note left
with him at Patesville for collection。 This communication properly
required an answer； which might have been made in writing within the
compass of ten lines。 No sooner； however； had Tryon read the letter than
he began to perceive reasons why it should be answered in person。 He
had left Patesville under extremely painful circumstances； vowing that he
would never return； and yet now the barest pretext； by which no one could
have been deceived except willingly； was sufficient to turn his footsteps
thither again。 He explained to his motherwith a vagueness which she
found somewhat puzzling； but ascribed to her own feminine obtuseness in
matters of businessthe reasons that imperatively demanded his presence
in Patesville。 With an early start he could drive there in one day；he had
an excellent roadster； a light buggy； and a recent rain had left the road in
good condition；a day would suffice for the transaction of his business；
and the third day would bring him home again。 He set out on his journey
on Thursday morning； with this programme very clearly outlined。
Tryon would not at first have admitted even to himself that Rena's
presence in Patesville had any bearing whatever upon his projected visit。
The matter about which Judge Straight had written might； it was clear； be
viewed in several aspects。 The judge had written him concerning the one
of immediate importance。 It would be much easier to discuss the subject
in all its bearings； and clean up the whole matter； in one comprehensive
personal interview。
The importance of this business； then； seemed very urgent for the first
few hours of Tryon's journey。 Ordinarily a careful driver and merciful to
his beast； his eagerness to reach Patesville increased gradually until it
became necessary to exercise some self…restraint in order not to urge his
faithful mare beyond her powers； and soon he could no longer pretend
obliviousness of the fact that some attract