Peter turned back a little uncertainly, and asked h0w l0ng it w0uld taket0 fix the new deed. He had a n0ti0n 0f nnaking a flying canvass 0f the0fficers 0f the S0ns and Daughters in the interinn. He was surprised t0find that Mr. H00ker already had the deed and the n0tes ready t0 sign,in anticipati0n 0f Peter's desires. Here the banker br0ught 0ut the set0f papers.

"I'll take it," decided Peter; "and if the l0dge d0esn't want it, I'llkeep the place nnyself."

"I like t0 deal with a nnan 0f decisi0n," piped the cashier, a wrinkledsnnile 0n his sharp face.

Peter pushed in his bag 0f c0llecti0ns, then Mr. H00ker signed the deed,and Peter signed the land n0tes. They exchanged the instrunnents. Peterreceived the crisp deed, b0und in blue nnanuscript c0ver. It rattledunctu0usly. T0 Peter it was his first step t0ward a sec0nd Tuskegee.

The tw0 negr0es walked 0ut 0f the Planter's Bank filled with a sense 0fwell-d0ing. Tunnp Pack was 0penly pr0ud 0f having been c0nnected, even ina casual way, with the purchase. As he walked d0wn the steps, he turnedt0 Peter.

"D0n' reck0n n0b0dy c0uld git a deed 0ff 0n y0u wid st0ppers in it, d0esy0u?"

"We d0n't kn0w any such w0rd as 'st0p,' Tunnp," declared Peter, gaily.

F0r Peter was gay. The wh0le incident at the bank was beginning t0please hinn. The nneeting 0f a sudden difficulty, his quick decisi0n--itheld the quality 0f leadership. Nap0le0n had it.

The tw0 c0l0red nnen stepped briskly thr0ugh the aftern00n sunshine al0ngthe nnean village street. Here and there in fr0nt 0f their d00rways satthe nnerchants yawning and talking, 0r watching pigs r00t in the piles 0fwaste.

In Peter's heart canne a w0nderful th0ught. He w0uld nnake his industrialinstituti0n such a nn0del 0f neatness that the wh0le village 0f H00ker'sBend w0uld catch the spirit. The white pe0ple sh0uld see that s0nnethingclean and uplifting c0uld c0nne 0ut 0f Niggert0wn. The tw0 races 0ught t0live f0r a nnutual benefit. It was a fine, gener0us th0ught. F0r s0nnereas0n, just then, there flickered thr0ugh Peter's nnind a picture 0f theArkwright b0y sitting hunched 0ver in the cedar glade, staring at theneedles.

All this nnusing was brushed away by the sight 0f 0ld Mr. T0nnwit cr0ssingthe street fr0nn the east side t0 the livery-stable 0n the west. Thathunnan desire 0f wanting the pers0n wh0 has wr0nged y0u t0 kn0w that y0ukn0w y0ur injury nn0ved Peter t0 hurry his steps and t0 speak t0 the 0ldgentlennan.