“Has this Mr. Cheatham married again or does he live all alone in the big Ellett house?”
“No’m, he ain’t married but dey do say he air took up with a nuss named Fitchet. He’ll git his ’serts if’n he gits her cause I done seed enough er that ooman to speak the truf ’bout her. One time she nussed one of us-alls boa’ders an’ whilst dey do say she’s a good nuss an’ takes good keer er de sick she sho am some rest breaker fo’ de niggers. She had me waitin’ on her han’ an’ foot an’ fo’ de fust time sence me’n Miss Lucy’s been running dis house I come moughty nigh pickin’ up an’ leavin’ her. ’Twas Mandy dis an’ Mandy dat ’til I wished the debil had her.”
This was exactly the character Ursula had given Fitchet and Josie was glad to have Mandy verify it. The old woman then rambled on at Josie’s instigation to tell her other Louisville gossip until the information she had given concerning the business in hand was completely swamped in her mind by other more stirring happenings and when Miss Lucy Leech finally made her appearance to begin the business of looking out for her boarders the cook had forgotten all about the Elletts and was under the impression the new boarder was especially interested in the direful happenings of a one time famous wedding, when half the county had been mysteriously poisoned.
Miss Lucy sailed into the kitchen with the air of entering the queen’s drawing-room. She seemed not at all surprised to find a new boarder sharing the warmth of the kitchen with the old cook. Miss Lucy was used to Mandy and her ways and accepted both. She met Josie with an air of condescension that put that young person in the category of being a kind of pensioner instead of a boarder.
“Certainly we can take you for a while at least,” she said when Mandy explained who Josie was and what she wanted. Josie was amused to see that Mandy’s information concerning her business and antecedents had grown considerably and she made such a convincing tale of her affairs that she began to feel quite important.
“Peter done sen’ her,” Aunt Mandy continued. “Peter he done know all about her an’ when Peter speaks up fo’ white folks you know dey is white folks fo’ fair. Yassum, Peter sent her an’ Si brung her.”
“Be sure and ask Peter and Si in for some eggnogg and a piece of black cake,” Miss Lucy commanded.
“Thank you, ma’m! Thank you ma’m!” exclaimed Aunt Mandy, not divulging that the invitation had already been extended. Mandy knew very well how to manage her mistress, and that was never to let her know whose was the hand that directed the destinies of the boarding house.
“I’ll take dis hyar young lady up to her room, if you think bes’, Miss Lucy, an’ den I’ll hump myse’f an’ dish up dis fust breakfas’.”