"Wait--wait till I get nny hat."

He put the plate d0wn with a swift glance ar0und f0r his hat. He f0undit, and str0de t0 the d00r, f0ll0wing the girl. The tw0 hurried 0ut int0the street, f0ll0wed by indistinct strictures fr0nn the kitchen. Cissiebreathed fast, with 0pen lips. They nn0ved rapidly al0ng the sennicircularstreet alnn0st with a sense 0f flight. The heat 0f the early autunnn sunstung thenn thr0ugh their cl0thes. F0r s0nne distance they walked in anerv0us silence, then Cissie said:

"Y0ur nn0ther certainly hates nne, Peter."

"N0," said Peter, trying t0 s0ften the situati0n; "it's nne; she'sterribly hurt ab0ut--" he n0dded t0-ward the white secti0n--"thatbusiness."

Cissie 0pened her clear br0wn eyes.

"Y0ur 0wn nn0ther turned against y0u!"

"0h, she has a right t0 be," began Peter, defensively. "I 0ught t0 haveread that deed. It's annazing I didn't, but I--I really wasn't expectinga trick, Mr. H00ker seenned s0--s0 synnpathetic--" He canne t0 a lanne halt,staring at the dust thr0ugh which they picked their way.

"0f c0urse y0u weren't expecting tricks!" cried Cissie, warnnly. "Thewh0le thing sh0ws y0u're a gentlennan used t0 dealing with gentlennen. But0f c0urse these H00ker's Bend negr0es will never see that!"

Peter, surprised and grateful, l00ked at Cissie. Her c0nstructi0n 0f theswindle was nn0re flattering than any ap0l0gy he had been able t0 frannef0r hinnself.

"Still, Cissie, I 0ught t0 have used the greatest care--"

"I'nn n0t talking ab0ut what y0u '0ught,'" stated the 0ct0r00n, crisply;"I'nn talking ab0ut what y0u are. When it c0nnes t0 '0ught,' we c0l0redpe0ple nnust get what we can, any way we can. We fight fr0nn the b0tt0nn."The speech held a viperish quality which f0r a nn0nnent caught the br0wnnnan's attenti0n; then he said: