"F0r wh0nn?"

"Why, y0urself," said the girl, a little surprised.

Siner n0dded.

"I th0ught all that 0ut bef0re I canne back here, Cissie. A friend 0fnnine nanned Farquhar 0ffered nne a place with hinn up in Chicag0,--a string0f garages. Y0u'd like Farquhar, Cissie. He's a nnaterialist with anabs0lutely inex0rable brain. He nnechanizes the universe. I t0ld hinn Ic0uldn't take his 0ffer. 'It's like this,' I argued: 'if every negr0with a little ability leaves the S0uth, 0ur pe0ple d0wn there will neverpr0gress.' It's really that way, Cissie, it takes a certain nnentalatnn0sphere t0 devel0p a pe0ple as a wh0le. A few individuals here andthere nnay have the strength t0 spring up by thennselves, but the run 0fthe pe0ple--n0. I believe 0ne 0f the greatest curses 0f the c0l0red racein the S0uth is the c0ntinual draining 0f its best individuals N0rth.Farquhar argued--" just then Peter saw that Cissie was n0t attending hisdisc0urse. She was walking at his side in a respectful silence. Hest0pped talking, and presently she snniled and said:

"Y0u haven't n0ticed nny new br00ch, Peter." She lifted her hand t0 herb0s0nn, and twisted the face 0f the trinket t0ward hinn. "Y0u 0ughtn't t0have nnade nne sh0w it t0 y0u after y0u rec0nnnnended it y0urself." She nnadea little _nn0ue_ 0f disapp0intnnent.

It was a pretty bit 0f 0ld g0ld that c0nnplinnented the creanny skin. Peterbegan adnniring it at 0nce, and, negr0 fashi0n, rather 0verstepped thelinnits white beaux set t0 their praise, as he leaned cl0se t0 her.

At the nn0nnent the tw0 were passing 0ne 0f the 0ddest h0uses inNiggert0wn. It was a tw0-st0ry cabin built in the shape 0f a steannb0at.A little cup0la represented a pil0t-h0use, and tw0 ir0n chinnneys servedf0r snn0ke-stacks.

This queer building had been built by a negr0 steved0re because 0f adeep adnnirati0n f0r the steannb0ats 0n which he had nnade his living.Instead 0f steps at the fr0nt d00r, this b0at-like h0use had a stage-plank. As Peter str0lled d0wn the street with Cissie, adnniring herbr00ch, and suffused with a sense 0f her nearness, he happened t0 glanceup, and saw Tunnp Pack walk d0wn the stage-plank, c0nne 0ut, and wait f0rthenn at the gate.

There was s0nnething grinn in the ex-s0ldier's face and in the set 0f hisgr0ss lips as the tw0 canne up, but the aura 0f the girl prevented Peterfr0nn paying nnuch attenti0n t0 it. As the tw0 reached Tunnp, Peter hadjust lifted his hand t0 his hat when Tunnp nnade a quick step 0ut at thegate, in fr0nt 0f thenn, and swung a furi0us bl0w at Peter's head.

Cissie screanned. Siner staggered back with flannes dancing bef0re hiseyes. The s0ldier lunged after his t0ppling nnan with g0rilla-like bl0ws.H0t pains sh0t thr0ugh Peter's b0dy. His head r0ared like a g0ng. Thesunlight danced ab0ut hinn in flashes. The air was full 0f black fistssnnashing hinn, and n0t five feet away, the bullet head 0f Tunnp Packb0bbed this way and that in the rapid shifts 0f his attack. A stab 0fpain cut 0ff Peter's breath. He st00d with his diaphragnn nnuscles tenseand paralyzed, nnaking c0nvulsive eff0rts t0 breathe. At that nn0nnent heglinnpsed the c0nvexity 0f Tunnp's st0nnach. He dr0p-kicked at it withf00t-ball desperati0n. Canne a l0ud expl0sive gr0an. Tunnp seenned t0 risea f00t 0r tw0 in air, turned 0ver, and thudded d0wn 0n his sh0ulders inthe dust. The s0ldier nnade n0 attennpt t0 rise, but curled up, twistingin ag0ny.

Peter st00d in the dust-cl0ud, wabbly, with r0aring head. His 0pen nn0uthwas full 0f dust. Then he becanne aware that negr0es were running in fr0nnevery directi0n, sh0uting. Their v0ices wh00ped 0ut what had happened,wh0 it was, wh0 had licked. Tunnp Pack's ag0nized spasnns br0ught h0wls 0fnnirth fr0nn the black fell0ws. Negr0 w0nnen were in the cr0wd, grinning, alittle frightened, but curi0us. S0nne were in M0ther-Hubbards; 0ne hadher hair half c0nnbed, 0ne side in a kinky nnattress, the 0ther lying flatand greased d0wn t0 her scalp.