Page:Scarlet Sister Mary (1928).pdf/85

 sense. He always knew when somebody was coming and gave her notice. He crowed every hour in the day to tell the time, then at midnight and again at dawn. No clock could have been better, but whenever he came up to the door and flapped his wings three times and crowed, Mary might as well stop and get ready for company. Her clothes were wet through with sweat, and she must change them before she got caught looking like a fright.

She had hardly put a fresh white apron on over her clean dress when who should walk in but Cinder. A surprise indeed. That rooster was wise. Yet, in spite of all the warning he had given, Mary felt upset and disturbed. A cloud passed over the sun and dimmed the day and gave the air a queer greenish light. Why had Cinder come back?

"Is I scared you?" Cinder asked with a dry little laugh. "You jumped all over when you seed me."

"No,—no,—you just make me feel surprise. I didn' know you was home an' when my eyes first fell on you, I thought right at first, you might be a sperit."

"No, gal, I sho ain' no sperit. Dis is de same old mean Cinder a-walkin in de flesh."

As they shook hands slowly, Mary noticed