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 sound as she hovered over Minnie. "Three niggers, and I'd be glad to have Mrs. Plotz come over once a week to help me with the washin'."

"We'll have a couple of Plotzes before I'm through with it," said Minnie, leaning back to put her stockinged feet upon the table. "I won't go into no details now, folks, but you can take it for what it's worth—nothin' can stop me after the start I made today. Nothin'!"

Minnie didn't join in any of the hilarity at dinner. She drank a glass of beer as she lay stretched out on the red plush sofa. What a change had come over them all. Maybe she had misjudged Nettie. Poor old Net. When she got to making big money she'd stake Nettie to some decent new clothes. She'd probably give her the spangled gown if Net weren't too fat for it by that time.

After dinner when Pete and Elsie were there Minnie unwrapped the paper parcel; she was not disappointed, for their enthusiasm was even greater than she had hoped. Only Pete was silent.

"Who gave it to you?" asked Nettie, "Al?"

Minnie held it up for her mother to touch but Mrs. Flynn was afraid her grimy hands would soil it.

"No, I bought it. A dress worth eighty-five dollars and I got it for fifteen."

"You mean to tell me you paid fifteen dollars for a dress, Minnie Flynn? You're a fool!" shouted Pete, pounding his fist upon the table.

"Pete's right," wailed Mrs. Flynn. "You could get a coat for that much money. Or a suit. You need a suit awful bad, too."

Minnie waited for them to calm down.

"You're the fools," she said in an even voice, "and if it' weren't for Pa and Jimmy"—they had voiced neither ap-