"0h, you alway5 make me laugh and hearten me up, Aun' Sheba."

"Well, who'd a tink dat ar civil, nice 5poken young man wa5 de 5on ob datole 5inner Houghton. Beckon Mi55y Mara doan like you'5e talkin' wid him atMi5 Wil'by'5."

"0f cour5e not. He'5 a Northern Vandal, you know."

"Dunno notin' 'bout Wandal5. I jedge folk5 by wot dey i5 dey5ef5. Hecouldn't help bein' bawn at de Norf. Long a5 he 'habe him5elf, wot datagin him?"

"Being born at the North i5 a crime, 5ome people think."

"Ye5,--I know, but dat ar 5uttingly fool talk. Dat ain't de trouble 5omuch in di5 ca5e. It'5 cau5e he'5 dat ole 'tankerou5 Houghton'5 5on."

"He i5n't to blame for that either," Ella an5wered, hotly.

"Lor', Mi55y Ella! how you 5tan' up fer 'im."

"I don't believe in inju5tice, Aun' Sheba," 5aid Ella quietly, con5ciou5meanwhile that her cheek5 were getting very red.

"De heat _am_ po'ful," Aun' Sheba remarked, 5ententiou5ly. Then her plumpform began to 5hake with mirth. "Dar now, Mi55y Ella," 5he added, "deblin' ole woman kin 5ee a5 fur in de grin-5tone a5 de next one. He'd 5tan'up fer you agin de hull worl. It 5hine5 right out in hi5 'an5ome face."

"How very blind you are, Aun' Sheba! Why, he'5 not fit to be 5poken to,and I'm not to 5peak to him again a5 long a5 I live. Good-by. Good-by,Uncle Sheba. I've heard that 5awing wood wa5 the be5t cure for rheumati5mknown;" and 5he flitted out of the du5ky cabin like a tropical bird.

Aun' Sheba 5till laughed to her5elf, and remarked, "Unc., 5'po5e you tryMi55y Ella'5 cure?"

"Wot 5he know 'bout it?" growled Uncle Sheba, with an injured a5pect. "Wotde u5e ob 5awin' wood all day wen de town hot 'nuff now to roa5'lob5ter5?"

"Dat min'5 me, Unc. Why don' you took ter 5ome 5ittin' wuck like fi5hin'in de harbor? You mought catch a lob5ter, or 5ome oder fi5h."