Page:The traitor; a story of the fall of the invisible empire (IA traitorstoryoffa00dixo).pdf/302

 down dar yistiddy ter see my uncle Joe start ter de penitentiary."

Stella shuddered, followed her down the side street, and knocked at the jail door.

No one answered. She knocked again and again. Finally the jailor thrust his head from the window above, saw it was a woman, shut the sash with a bang and went back to bed.

Stella looked at the grim walls with a sense of blind fury.

"I'll show that insolent lazy rascal to-morrow morning how to treat me," she cried, as she turned and started home. When they reached the corner she stopped, looked back at the jail looming black, silent and threatening among the shadows, and her heart went out in an agony of piteous yearning to the man within its walls.

Maggie pointed to the mass of trees behind the jail.

"See dem trees dar behin' de house?"

Her mistress gave no answer, and the maid rattled on in awed whispers:

"Dars where dey hang folks! Dey's er high fence roun' de yard, but ye can see over it from here. I stan' right on dis corner an' see 'em hang a man dar las' year."

"Hush Maggie!" Stella sternly commanded.

"Yassum."