Presently he came along on foot, with his watermelon on his shoulder. Virginia called to him.
“Where did you get your melon, Lucas?”
“Presen’ fo’ de col’nel, Miss Jinny.” Lucas turned his shoulder around for her to look at the melon. “Ain’t he a beauty! Sho’ he is! Mist’ Payson, he give him to me. He say: ‘Luke, yo’ take him to de col’nel fo’ a presen’.’”
Virginia admired the melon.
“Grandfather isn’t coming back until late,” she said. “Did he tell you when to come for him, Lucas?”
“No, Miss Jinny, he ain’t a comin’ till it’s over, I reckon. Yo’ oughter see dat court-house! Ain’t no gettin’ inter it. Mis’ Wilyum Carter, she testifyin’. Seems like it mus’ be motion-picture show, Miss Jinny. I saw Mist’ Wilyum Carter myse’f. He was goin’ in ayonnah, an’ he look—Miss Jinny, he look like one ob dese yere white-spine cucumbers—he ain’t got no more colluh ’cept green.”
“That’s all right, Lucas. Take that watermelon down to the kitchen and get Lucy to put it on ice. The colonel may want it when he comes home.”
“Yes, Miss Jinny, I sho’ will. I’s— Say, Miss Jinny, Mirandy, Miz Carter’s help, she say Mist’ Wilyum gwine to get divorcement.”
“Never mind about Miranda,” said Virginia hastily. “You get that melon out of the sun.”
“He ain’t gwine to get hurt in de sun, Miss Jinny. He’s jus’ ripe—yo’ heah him?” Lucas gave the melon a scientific tap. “Yo’ heah him? He’s all right, he sho’ is, Miss Jinny. Mirandy, she say Mist’ Carter—de ole man—he raise ruction ’bout it when Mist’ Leigh shoot dat man——”