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-- why, you'll have that entire town down here before you can hardly wink, Miss

Mary. And they'll come a-biling, too." ssssssssss

I judged we had got everything fixed about right, now. So I says:

"Just let the auction go right along, and don't worry. Nobody don't have

to pay for the things they buy till a whole day after the auction, on accounts of

the short notice, and they ain't going out of this till they get that money and

the way we've fixed it the sale ain't going to count, and they ain't going to get no

money. It's just like the way it was with the niggers -- it warn't no sale, and the

niggers will be back before long. Why, they can't collect the money for the

niggers, yet -- they're in the worst kind of a fix, Miss Mary."

"Well," she says, "I'll run down to breakfast now, and then I'll start

straight for Mr. Lothrop's." ssssssssss

"'Deed, that ain't the ticket, Miss Mary Jane," I says, "by no manner of

means; go before breakfast." ssssssssss

"Why?" ssssssssss

"What did you reckon I wanted you to go at all for, Miss Mary?"

"Well, I never thought -- and come to think, I don't know. What was it?"

"Why, it's because you ain't one of these leather-face people. I don't want

no better book that what your face is. A body can set down and read it off like

coarse print. Do you reckon you can go and face your uncles, when they come

to kiss you good-morning, and never -- ssssssssss

"There, there, don't! Yes, I'll go before breakfast -- I'll be glad to. And

leave my sisters with them?" ssssssssss

"Yes -- never mind about them. They've got to stand it yet a while. They

might suspicion something if all of you was to go. I don't want you to see them,

nor your sisters, nor nobody in this town -- if a neighbor was to ask how is your

uncles this morning, your face would tell something. No, you go right along, Miss

Mary Jane, and I'll fix it with all of them. I'll tell Miss Susan to give your love

to your uncles and say you've went away for a few hours for to get a little rest and

change, or to see a friend, and you'll be back to-night or early in the morning."

"Gone to see a friend is all right, but I won't have my love given to them."

"Well, then, it sha'n't be." It was well enough to tell her so -- no harm in it.

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