"Dey's bin a accidunt on de line; nobuddy hurt, but the train'll be seberal hours late. Mr. Gano reckons he'll stay ober at de station till it gits yere."
"Isn't it just like cousin Ethan!" Emmie burst out, when the two blacks had gone. "I don't believe he'll ever come—I don't believe we've got a cousin Ethan!" she wound up, with exasperation.
Partly to reassure herself, partly to kill time, she went into her grandmother's room and brought back her cousin's latest photograph.
"Don't you sometimes think this is the crossest-looking of any?" she whispered to Val.
"I don't think it's cross—just grave. I hate grinning men."
"I don't want him to grin; but his mouth looks—looks—— Still, I do like his mustache brushed that way, so you can see his lips a little. And his eyes!—oh! his eyes are beautiful!"
They studied the picture for some moments held between them.
"Do you quite like his chin?" pursued Emmie.
"I like that best of all except his nose," said Val, firmly.