"Nothin', only shettin' the draw';
plaguey thing wouldn't stay put. Tore my dress," she added
mumblingly to fill out the pause.
"Where?" said Caryl, looking sharply at her.
"Dar," said Viny, with a violent twist, so that she could compass
the back breadths of her blue gingham frock, and she pointed
abruptly to a cat-a-cornered rent.
"Oh, no, you didn't," contradicted Caryl, looking her through and
through, and giving her a small shake, "tear that either; I heard
Maum Patty scold you yesterday for letting Jip bite it and snip
out a piece."
"Well, somefin tore," said Viny. "I donno whar 'tis, but it's
somewhars. A mighty smart tare, too, Miss Ca."
"I'll lock, and lock, and lock," declared the young girl, now
down on her knees before her precious drawer, "before I run the
chance of your rummaging fingers getting here again. Now then,
Viny!"
"Yes'm," said the little black girl obsequiously, and rolling her
eyes to all quarters; "Oh, yes'm!"
"We are going to move, Viny," said her young mistress, taking the
key out of its lock, and turning her back on drawers and
contents, to sit on the floor with hands folded in her lap while
she watched the effect of her words.
"MOVE?" echoed Viny with a start; "Oh, lawks! whatever's dat,
Miss?"
"Why, go to a new place," said Caryl, laughing in spite of
herself. "For mercy's sake, child, do take your eyes in! It'll
be very fine, Viny, oh, so fine!" she cried enthusiastically.
"An' lib here nebber no mo'?" cried the little black figure in a
shrill scream; "wot, an' hev no leaky sink dat keps me a-swashin'
and a-swashin', an' no old ruf dat lets in hull buckets full o'
water onter de bed, an'--"
"No," said Caryl, interrupting the steady stream of invective
against the old heuse, "everything's to be as new and nice and
neat as a pin, Viny--sinks and everything else; you can't begin
to think how splendid it's to be!"
"I'm goin' to tell gramma," cried Viny, wholly off her balance,
"dis berry same minnit.
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