"'An' you'll tek cyare o' de place w'ile I'se gone, won't yer, 'Zekiel? I kin trus' yer jes same's I kin Jonah, cyan't I? Ya'as, co'se. I ain' gwine be gone ve'y long, nudder,' she say; 'jes long 'nough ter give Mis' Myers de flowers, an' talk a li'l', or p'r'aps read a li'l'--' an' same time she's tellin' me 'bout it she 'mence walkin' off down de paff. "Praesen'ly she turn 'roun' ag'in, an' I kin see 'er tekkin' one o' de lilies f'um de bunch an' puttin' it in 'er dress. Den she put 'er hand up to 'er haid quick, like she's thought o' sump'n' she oughter 'membered 'fo'. "''Zekiel!' she say. An' I run up to 'er fas' 's I could. "''Zekiel, tell Jonah I--I forgot!' she whisper to me, an' she look r'al w'ite an' strange. 'Tell 'im--no--' an' she seem ter change 'er mine, 'no, I ain' gwine, after all. I'll wait yere twell he comes.' "Co'se I ain' know w'at 'tis Mis' Simons 'membered 'bout ser quick, an' I ain't r'ally wanter ax 'er, nudder; so I jes stood dere a-lookin' after 'er w'ile she walk off ter de li'l' arbor in de gyarden an' se' down on de seat. She look kine o' lonesome, too, a-settin' dere all 'lone, an' I start gwine after 'er ter ax 'er w'at's de matter. But time I gotten dere I didn' r'ally like ter trouble 'er, so I jes stood dere quiet by de do', a-lookin' in. "'Well, 'Zekiel,' she 'mence praesen'ly, 'did yer want sump'n'?' "'No'm,' I say, kine o' wishin' I ain't come, 'no'm, but I'se studyin' a li'l' 'bout yer, Mis' Simons--an' wonderin' did sump'n'--frighten yer?' "She smile den, an' hel' out 'er han'. "'No, no, my chile,' she say, lookin' mo' like she useter 'gin, ''tain' nuthin' frighten me; I'se jes thinkin' 'bout sump'n'--I oughter 'membered 'fo'. 'Twuz ve'y thoughtless o' me--ter fergit!' she say low like to 'erself. Den, ''Zekiel,' she 'mence ag'in, ''ow long does yer reckon it's gwine tek Jonah ter git back?' "'I dunno'm, Mis' Simons,' I say, 'but I reckon he'll be back right soon now, too.' "'_Couldn'_ tek 'im mo'n a hour, could it?' she ask, jes ez ef I knowed all 'bout it. "'No'm,' I say, 'couldn' tek 'im mo'n a hour.' [Illustration: "'SHE KEEP ON A-READIN', AN' I KEEP ON A-WUKKIN' ON DE PAFF'"] "She look up r'al bright at me den, an' praesen'ly look down at de flowers in 'er han'. "'I reckon _you'll_ be 'blige tek 'em ter Mis' Myers, won't yer, 'Zekiel?' she 'mence. But she stop quick 'gin, lookin' same way she did 'fo', w'en she put 'er han' up to 'er haid. "'No!' she say, 'doan't yer go outen de yard ter-day, 'Zekiel! Yer won't go 'way ter-day, will yer, 'Zekiel?' "'W'y, no'm,' I say, wonderin' w'at she mean; 'no'm, I ain' gwine 'way 'n' leave yer, Mis' Simons.' "She smile ag'in, an' lay down de flowers, an' den she tuk up a book where's layin' on de seat. "'Dat's a good li'l' boy,' she say; 'now go 'n' hoe de weeds outen de gyarden paff, same way Jonah's doin' 'fo' he went.'