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kept Unex while Mary picked cotton all the week until Saturday, when she washed the clothes early and ironed them all before noon. She was starting to the spring to fetch water to scour before night when Doll, July's sister, came by. When she saw Mary still working she burst out laughing, "How-come you duh scour when evybody else is pleasurin? How-come so?"

Mary began trying to explain: July didn't like her to be roaming around and trapesing up and down the road. He liked to find her at home whenever he came in.

Doll laughed. Being July's sister, she could say things about him nobody else could say. "Lawd, gal," she began seriously, "if you pay 'tention to July, you would pure work yousef to death. Put down dat scourin brush. Come on go to Grab-All wid me. Some fine new dress cloth come on de boat yesdiddy. You need some new clothes, well as me."

Mary was afraid to do it at first, for July had