“But we don’t want Lilly to cry any more,” urged Mary Van.
“She washin’ her eyes in cole water now, ’caze An’ Polly knockin’ at de do’. An’ Polly see de cur’us doin’s at de sociable las’ night, an’ she can’ wait ter eat her brekfus’ ’fo’ she go up ter Lilly’s house. Whin An’ Polly see po’ Lilly’s sweet lit’le face all swool up, de Lawd tu’n her h’art ter goodnes’ an’ she kiss Lilly an’ say, ‘I wants yer ter go out ter de Water Falls, an’ hope er po’ lit’le bird Doct’r Peck’rwood say some bad boy hit wid er rock.’
“Lilly she tie her bonnet on, an’ fly out ter de Falls ’fo’ yer knows hit. Den An’ Polly she come on ter Tishy Peafowels an’ ax Tishy, ‘Whut in de name er de Lawd ail Lilly Dove an’ John Mockin’bird?’
“Tish thow her head back an’ laf one dese mean sorter lafs an’ say: ‘I done hit, I wus jes’ ti’ed uv ev’ybody runnin’ atter dat mealy mouf Lilly Dove, an’ I jes’ ’termine ter part her an’ John—’caze John orter be my beau, ennyhow.’
“An’ Polly mos’ fall out’n de tree whin Tishy say dat. Yas, suh, she jes’ fly up ter John’s quick es she kin. John, he walkin’ up an’ down wid his han’s und’r his coat tails, mumblin’ an’ grumblin’ ter hisse’f, an’ hit wus right smart time ’fo’ he see An’ Polly settin’ dar.
“An’ Polly, she say: ‘John Mockin’bird, Tishy Peafowel done tole me dat low down sto’y she tole you ’ginst Lilly Dove.’
“John, he look at An’ Polly like he can’t make out whut she say.
“An’ Polly say, ‘Hit’s de trufe,—Tishy make up ev’r wurd she tell you, an’ po’ lit’le Lilly bin cryin’ her eyes out all night.’
“John bus’ out moanin’, ‘Whut mus’ I do?’
“She tell ’im: ‘Lilly out at de Water Falls now.’