Page:Emma Speed Sampson--The shorn lamb.djvu/293

Rh "It's right funny, but everybody talks to me about the business. Philip has told me a lot about it. He thinks the law and equity court will decide in favor of Grandfather in spite of Mr. Bolling's holding that old lease and the deed books being gone, burnt or something." "Laws-a-mussy, Beck baby, I kin 'member moughty well that time the word went 'roun' that the Yankees wa' a coming. They done burnt a lot er co't houses, so they said, an' the chanct wa' they wa' a gonter burn ourn. Some er the men got ter wuck an' tuck all the things out'n the buildin' befo' the sojers got there an' then when some drunken sojers started ter fire the place a awfficer come a ridin' up with his saber a glintin' in the sun an' he drove off the drunks an' set a gyard ter protec' the prop'ty. Them there books an' sech would a been saf't enough. Somebody done stole them books. Mo'n likely the Yankees. Some folks'll jes' steal fer stealin's sake.

"Air Mr. Spot takin' on much 'bout his sweetheart?"

"Poor Uncle Spot! He most breaks my heart. He doesn't eat and I don't believe he is sleeping either, he looks so black under his eyes. I didn't know he loved Betsy so much, but he told me the other day that he had been think-