Uncle Abe continued to gaze unconcernedly into the fire as though he had no idea the heavy set man was becoming angrier by the minute.
“You black whelp!” he thundered, “What do you mean by bandying words with me?”
Uncle Abe remained silent.
“Are you deaf?” cried Joyce. “Tell me what you’re sitting up for!”
“I’se takin’ a warm, suh.”
“Taking a—warm?”
“Yaas, suh. I’se a mis’ry in der feet—rhumytizzem. Can’t sleep nohow. So I sets an’ reads de paper by de fire—an’ takes a warm.”
“Oh, you do, do you?”
“Yaas, suh, I sho’ do.”
“Don’t answer me back that way, do you hear?”