"She has a rule in dis house dat nobody can use huh chiny or fo'ks or spoons who ain't boa'ding heah, and de odder day when yuh asked me to bring up a knife and fo'k she ketched me coming upstairs, and she says, 'Where yuh goin' wid all dose things, Annie?' Ah said, 'Ah'm just goin' up to Miss Laura's room with dat knife and fo'k.' Ah said, 'Ah'm goin' up for nothin' at all, Mis' Farley, she jest wants to look at them, Ah guess.' She said, 'She wants to eat huh dinner wid 'em, Ah guess.' Ah got real mad, and Ah told her if she'd give me mah pay Ah'd brush right out o' here; dat's what Ah'd do, Ah'd brush right out o' here." She shook out the towel violently, as if to emphasize her indignation. Laura could not restrain a smile. "I'm sorry, Annie, if I've caused you any trouble. Never mind, I'll be able to pay the rent to-morrow or next day, anyway." Fumbling in her purse, she took out a quarter, and turned to the servant: "Here!" "No, ma'am; Ah don' want dat," said Annie, making a show of reluctance. "Please take it," insisted Laura. "No, ma'am; Ah don' want it. You need dat. Dat's breakfast money for yuh, Miss Laura." "Please take it, Annie. I might just as well get rid of this as anything else." Rather reluctantly, the negress took the money. With a grin, she said: "Yuh always was so good, Miss Laura. Sho' yuh don' want dis?" "Sure." "Sho' yo' goin' to get plenty mo'?" "Sure." Suddenly a shrill, feminine voice was heard downstairs, calling loudly: "Annie! Annie!" The negress hastily went to the door and opened it. "Dat's Mis' Farley!" she said in an undertone. Answering in the same key, she shouted: "Yassum, Mis' Farley." "Is Miss Murdock up there?" cried the same voice. "Yassum, Mis' Farley; yassum!" "Anything doin'?" "Huh?" "Anything doin'?" The negress hesitated, and looked at Laura. "Ah--Ah--hain't asked, Missy Farley." "Then do it," said the voice determinedly. Laura advanced to the rescue. "I'll answer her," she said. Putting her head out of the door, she cried: "What is it, Mrs. Farley?" The irate landlady's voice underwent a quick change. In a softened voice, she called up: "Did ye have any luck this morning, dearie?" "No; but I promise you faithfully to help you out this afternoon or to-morrow." "Sure? Are you certain?" "Absolutely." "Well, I must say these people expect me to keep----" There was an exclamation of skeptical impatience, and the door below slammed with a bang. Laura quietly closed her door, through which Mrs. Farley's angry mutterings could still be heard indistinctly. Laura sighed, and, walking to the table, sat down again. Annie looked at her a moment, and then slowly opened the door. "Yo' sho' dere ain't nothin' I can do fo' yuh, Miss Laura?" "Nothing," said Laura wearily. The negress reluctantly turned to go. Her work now finished, there was no further excuse for remaining. Slowly she left the room, carrying her broom and dustpan with her. CHAPTER XI.