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 the strong man was very gentle as he helped the crippled sinner down the aisle, then down the church steps into the black wet night.

Mary did not wait for them, but ran through the rain, to the buggy which the flashes of lightning helped her to find in the confusion of vehicles around it.

"Do yunnah hurry, fo Lawd's sake," she called to the two men who were coming behind her as fast as Budda's feet could possibly shuffle along.

The mule's head was finally turned toward home, and the buggy wheels rolled in the waterfilled road. Mary tried not to moan, not to rock her body back and forth.

"Beat de mule, Andrew, make em step more pearter."

Andrew frailed the mule's haunches as hard as he could, but the beast's feet were hampered by floods of water and his eyes blinded by sheets of rain.

"Don' fret 'bout de mule, Si May-e, you hold on to dat child till we get you home. It ain' so far now," Andrew spoke kindly, but Budda was wretched.

"Great Gawd, Si May-e," he cried, "you can' turn em loose in dis buggy."