“‘W’y, yes, co’se, ’Zekiel,’ she say, ‘co’se yer’s gwine be ez good’s Jonah! An’ I jes reckon yer’ll be ’blige tek ’is place now twell he gits back, too! W’y—w’y, I couldn’ git ’long ’thout yer noways, could I, ’Zekiel?’ She ben’ down while she’s talkin’ an’ pick a yaller lily f’um de baid. ‘Jes see it ketch de sun!’ she say. ‘Doan’t it look like gole a-shinin’! Doan’t yer reckon I better tek a whul bunch ter Mis’ Myers, ’Zekiel?’ she say. ‘She’s sick, yer know—po’ Mis’ Myers!’
“‘Yas’m,’ I answer ’er, an’ ’mence pickin’ de bunch fer ’er.
“‘I COULDN’ GIT ’LONG ’THOUT YER NOWAYS, COULD I?’ SHE SAY”
“‘An’ you’ll tek cyare o’ de place w’ile I’se gone, won’t yer, ’Zekiel? I kin trus’ yer jes 434 same’s I kin Jonah, cyan’t I? Ya’as, co’se. I ain’ gwine be gone ve’y long, nudder,’ she say; ‘jes long ’nough ter give Mis’ Myers de flowers, an’ talk a li’l’, or p’r’aps read a li’l’—’ an’ same time she’s tellin’ me ’bout it she ’mence walkin’ off down de paff.
“Praesen’ly she turn ’roun’ ag’in, an’ I kin see ’er tekkin’ one o’ de lilies f’um de bunch an’ puttin’ it in ’er dress. Den she put ’er hand up to ’er haid quick, like she’s thought o’ sump’n’ she oughter ’membered ’fo’.
“‘’Zekiel!’ she say. An’ I run up to ’er fas’ ’s I could.
“‘’Zekiel, tell Jonah I—I forgot!’ she whisper to me, an’ she look r’al w’ite an’ strange. ‘Tell ’im—no—’ an’ she seem ter change ’er mine, ‘no, I ain’ gwine, after all. I’ll wait yere twell he comes.’
“Co’se I ain’ know w’at ’tis Mis’ Simons ’membered ’bout ser quick, an’ I ain’t r’ally wanter ax ’er, nudder; so I jes stood dere a-lookin’ after ’er w’ile she walk off ter de li’l’ arbor in de gyarden an’ se’ down on de seat. She look kine o’ lonesome, too, a-settin’ dere all ’lone, an’ I start gwine after ’er ter ax ’er w’at’s de matter. But time I gotten dere I didn’ r’ally like ter trouble ’er, so I jes stood dere quiet by de do’, a-lookin’ in.