“Thutty dollahs, Jedge!” he said eagerly. “Dass de right amount. Thutty dollahs.”
“You go set down!” yelled his wife in his ear, but the old man shook his head.
“Ain’ he gwine pay hit?” he asked resentfully. “Ain’ de jedge gwine mek him pay hit? Whaffo’ Ah nail up de shack ef he ain’ gwine pay hit?”
“Whut yo’ palaver about? Nail up de shack! You ain’ nail up no shack. Dat no-’count Silas he nail up de shack,” shouted Sally.
The old man nodded his head and grinned.
“Yas, dasso! Dasso! Ah nail up de shack, Jedge,” he chuckled. “Ah nail him in. Yassah, Ah done jes so.”
“Him?” shouted the justice, “you mean her?”
“Yassah, Ah nail him in,” said Noah.
“You did?” shouted the justice.
“Ah—Ah beg pawdon, Jedge,” said the old man. “Ah cawn’t heah as—as well as Ah used to heah. Ah cawn’t hear whisperin’ tones no moah. Ah—Ah got to beg yo’ to speak jes a leetle mite louder.”