The front door snapped open with a peculiar sharpness. The committeemen sat up, surprised and puzzled. Stella's voice came to them, high-strung, weeping. "Tom! Lawd hab mercy! Tom——"
From behind her, through the closing door, they heard an unusual hubbub in the street.
"Stella—here Ah is——"
She stood before them, leaning against the door jamb, one hand behind her back. "Oh, Tom! They'se killed Cah'line—they'se killin' all the nigguhs——"
Tom drew nearer, his eyes open in alarmed fascination, his face washed with a dusky pallor. "Killed Cah'line——"
"Get mah babies, Tom. We gonter leave dis place, now."
"What's all dis, Miss' Cole?" one of the men hurled at her, jumping to his feet.
"Lawsy, you po' chile! What's de matter wid yu' han'?"
She brought it out from behind her, bleeding, crushed, pulpy. "Rock hit me," she said, straightly. "Git de babies, Tom. We gotter go."
"Whar we gwine?"