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 jaw.—“I kin yoke up a pair uv ordina'y niggers all right. Sometimes dey sticks, sometimes dey don't.” The old man shook his white, kinky head. “I'll bust in an' try to hitch up you-all. I—I dunno whedder de cer'mony will hol' away up North or not.”

“It'll be all right anywhere, Parson,” said Peter, seriously. “Your name on the marriage-certificate will—can you write?”

“N-no, suh.”

After a brief hesitation Peter repeated determinedly:

“It'll be all right. And, by the way, of course, this will be a very quiet wedding.”

“Yas-suh.” The old man bobbed importantly.

“I wouldn't mention it to any one.”

“No, suh; no, suh. I don' blame you a-tall, Mr. Peter, wid dat Tump Pack gallivantin' roun' wid a forty-fo'. Hit would keep 'mos' anybody's weddin' ve'y quiet onless he wuz lookin' fuh a short cut to heab'n.”

As the two negroes passed the Berry cabin, Nan Berry thrust out her spiked head and called to Peter Captain Renfrew wanted to see him.

Peter paused, with quickened interest in this strange old man who had come to his mother's death-bed with a doctor. Peter asked Nan what the Captain wanted.

Nan did not know. Wince Washington had told Nan that the Captain wanted to see Peter. Bluegum Frakes had told Wince; Jerry Dillihay had told