"I do' know, Brothah Pahkah. He so po', I 'low I haveter keep him and fatten him fu' awhile."
"Uh, huh! well, so long, Jim."
"So long, Brothah Pahkah." Jim chuckled as he went away. "I 'low I fool dat ol' fox. Wanter come down an' eat up my one little 'possum, do he? huh, uh!"
So that very night Jim scraped his possum, and hung it out-of-doors, and the next day, brown as the forest whence it came, it lay on a great platter on Jim's table. It was a fat possum too. Jim had just whetted his knife, and Mandy had just finished the blessing when the latch was lifted and Brother Parker stepped in.
"Hi, oh, Brothah Jim, I's des' in time."
Jim sat with his mouth open. "Draw up a cheer, Brothah Pahkah," said Mandy. Her husband rose, and put his hand over the possum.
"Wha—wha'd you come hyeah fu'?" he asked.
"I thought I'd des' come in an' tek a bite wid you."
"Ain' gwine tek no bite wid me," said Jim.
"Heish," said Mandy, "wha' kin' o' way is dat to talk to de preachah?"