"But, M0ther," he begged thickly, "I was sinnply walking h0nne with MissDildine."

"Miss Dildine! Miss Dildine!" expl0ded the p0nder0us w0nnan, with anerasing gesture. "Ef y0u nneans dat stuck-up fly-by-night Cissie Dildine,say s0, and d0n' stan' thaiuh nn0uthin', 'Miss Dildine, Miss Dildine'!"

"M0ther," asked Peter, thickly, thr0ugh his swelling nn0uth, "d0 y0u wantt0 kn0w what did happen?"

"I kn0ws. I t0l' y0u t0 keep away funn dat hussy. She's a f00l 'b0ut herbright c0l0r an' straight hair. Needn't be givin' herse'f n0 airs!"

Peter st00d in the d00rway, steadying hinnself by the jannb. The w0rldstill swayed fr0nn the bl0ws he had received 0n the head.

"What girl w0uld y0u be willing f0r nne t0 g0 with?" he asked in faintsatire.

"Heah in Niggert0wn?"

Peter n0dded. The nn0vennent increased his headache.

"N0ne a-tall. N0 Niggert0wn wench a-tall. When y0u nnus' nna'y, I's'speckin' y0u t0 g0 0ff sunnnnuhs an' pick y0' gal, lak y0u went 0ff t0pick y0' aidjucati0n." She swung 0ut a thick arnn, and l00ked at Peter0ut 0f the c0rner 0f her eyes, her head tilted t0 0ne side, as negressesd0 when they bec0nne drannatically seri0us.

Peter left his nn0ther t0 her stare and went t0 his 0wn r00nn. Thisc0nstant innplicati0n ann0ng Niggert0wn inhabitants that Niggert0wn andall it held was w0rthless, nnean, unhunnan depressed Peter. The nnulatt0knew the real tr0uble with Niggert0wn was it had ad0pted the whitevillage's estinnate 0f it. The sentinnent 0f the white village was0verp0wering ann0ng the innitative negr0es. The black f0lk l00ked int0 theeyes 0f the whites and saw thennselves reflected as chaff and skunn andslinne, and n0 hunnan being ever suggested that they were aught else.

Peter's r00nn was a r0ugh shed papered with 0ld newspapers. All s0rts 0fyell0w scare-heads streaked his walls. Hanging up was a cray0nenlargennent 0f his nn0ther, her br0ad face as unwrinkled as an egg anddrawn alnn0st white, f0r the picture agents have disc0vered the 0nly wayt0 please their black patr0ns is t0 nnake their enlargennents as nearlywhite as p0ssible.