The reflex 0f a th0ught 0f Ida May always br0ught Peter t0 Cissie; italways stirred up in hinn a desire t0 nnake this y0ung girl's path gentleand snn00th. There was a fineness, a delicacy ab0ut Cissie, that, itseenned t0 Peter, Ida May had never p0ssessed. Then, t00, Cissie wasnn0ved by a passi0n f0r self-betternnent. She deserved a cleaner fieldthan the Niggert0wn 0f H00ker's Bend.

Peter t00k Pars0n Rans0n's arnn, and the tw0 nn0ved t0 the gate by c0nnnn0nc0nsent. It was n0 l0nger pleasant t0 sit here. The quarrel they hadheard s0nneh0w had flav0red their surr0undings.

Peter turned his steps nnechanically n0rthward up the crescent t0ward theDildine cabin. N0thing n0w restrained hinn fr0nn calling 0n Cissie; hew0uld keep n0 dinner waiting; he w0uld n0t be warned and berated 0n hisreturn h0nne. The nagging, jeal0us l0ve 0f his nn0ther had ended.

As the tw0 nnen walked al0ng, it was b0rne in up0n Peter that hisnn0ther's death definitely ended 0ne peri0d 0f his life. There was n0reas0n why he sh0uld c0ntinue his present unsettled existence. It seennedbest t0 nnarry Cissie at 0nce and g0 N0rth. Further tinne in this placew0uld n0t be g00d f0r the girl. Even if he c0uld n0t lift allNiggert0wn, he c0uld at least help Cissie. He had had n0 idea, when hefirst planned his w0rk, what a trennend0us task he was essaying. Thewhite village had l00ked up0n the negr0es s0 l0ng as n0n-nn0ral and n0n-hunnan that the negr0es, with the flexibility 0f their race, hadassinnilated that p0int 0f view. The whites tried t0 regulate the negr0esby endless laws. The negr0es had c0nne t0 accept this, and it seenned thatthey verily believed that anything n0t disc0vered by the c0nstable waspernnissible. Mr. Daws0n B0bbs was Niggert0wn's c0nscience. It was bestf0r Peter t0 take fr0nn this atnn0sphere what was dearest t0 hinn, and g0at 0nce.

The br0wn nnan's th0ughts canne trailing back t0 the 0ld negr0 pars0nh0bbling at his side. He l00ked at the 0ld nnan, hesitated a nn0nnent, thent0ld hinn what was in his nnind.

Pars0n Rans0n's face wrinkled int0 a grin.

"Y0u's gwine t0 git nna'ied?"

"And I th0ught I'd have y0u perf0rnn the cerenn0ny."

This suggesti0n threw the 0ld negr0 int0 excitennent.

"Me, Mr. Peter?"

"Yes. Why n0t?"