"I's is a listenin', Mammy," the boy replied. "I's heard every word."
"Is you? Then what was it I said last?" she demanded.
"You said as how that by midnight he'd be a stumblin' down the mounting to find out what's the matter."
"Right you is!" said Judy approvingly. "Now that's business, an' so is what I'm a goin' to say. You is to tell him not to come near Judy Peters's place. Tell him they's reasons. Tell him to go down t'other road Arricktown way. It's shorter an' quicker, but tell him they's reasons besides the shortness an' quickness. An' when you's tole him all that tell him your Mammy says he kin count on her tell death! That'll cheer him up, like."
XX
THE SATISFACTION OF W. W. WEBB
When William Wilberforce Webb found that he had to fight for an election which he had supposed to be securely his by virtue of his regular nomination as the candidate of the dominant party, he hastily called his friends and advisers together for consultation.
In the course of the discussion it was decided that the weak spot in Webb's campaign lay in his neglect to do anything to secure the mountain vote.
"We'll divide about even down here," said the shrewdest politician among Webb's following. "You see the whole Democratic vote is just so much withdrawn from Westover's strength among the planters, and the Democrats seem to be in earnest this year. That leaves us with a small but secure majority in this part of the district. The decision will rest with the mountain vote, and so far as I can see we've done nothing to secure that."
"I haven't thought it necessary," answered Webb, "until now. You see the mountain people have seemed entirely indifferent, and they seem so now. As they gave me a big majority at the last election, I have reckoned upon party lines to give me a like majority this time."
"Have you seen Judy Peters?" asked one of the advisers.