Page:Scarlet Sister Mary (1928).pdf/285

 "Open you eyes an' look good, Auntie."

Maum Hannah leaned and picked up something, then she hurried to the fire with it. She broke into a laugh.

"Great Gawd! What is dis? Whe you come f'om, gal? You most scare Aun' Hannah to deat'! Gawd bless you! Lemme wrop you up an' git you warm. Po lil ting! You mos' froze, enty?"

Mary jumped up out of the bed herself.

"Fo Gawd's sake, Auntie, who had dat baby?"

"Gawd knows, gal, I found em in de corner behind de organ. E's most freeze too"

Mary took the child in her hands. The two women looked at each other. Both were perplexed. Whose child was this girl-child?

"May-e—you reckon you could-a had dis chile an' didn' know?" Maum Hannah suggested.

"Do, Auntie!" Mary laughed. "Now how could dat be?"

"Den who dat fetch em here? I been catchin' chillen all dese years. I know I ain' never caught one off de naked flo' befo in my life. Who dat put em on de flo'? Must be somebody."

"I know e ain' me. No, Jedus. When I birth chillen, I know it. Mebbe you had em, Auntie."