At the sound of her voice, the burly negro turned and scowled viciously at her.
"Yo' dun keep quiet!" he said in a low, intense voice.
"I shall not," answered Grace. "Help, some-body!" she called.
"Hush up, yo'!" fairly hissed the burly intruder, and sprang for the doorway. In another moment he had Grace by the arm. "Don't yo' make anudder sound, or yo'll git sumfing yo' won't lak!"
"Oh!" gasped the poor girl. She wanted to say more, but the words stuck in her throat. The negro still, held her, and his grasp was like that of steel.
"Are yo' gwine to shut up?" asked the intruder.
"Le—let me go, please!"
"Ain't gwine to let yer go. Be still now, heah?"
Grace did hear, and, as the negro glowered at her, her heart almost stopped beating. She gazed around, and so did the negro. Not another person was in sight.
"Come into de room," went on the negro after a painful pause, and he literally dragged her forward to the door. "If yo' be still, yo' won't git hurt."