wife," he added, explanatorily. He pulled down his lips,
and looked the picture of solemnity.
I saw from Mrs. Meriwether's mystified look that she did not know what
he considered "bad luck." She could not tell from his reference whether
his wife was better or worse.
"Is she--ah? What--oh--how is Amanda?" she demanded finally, to solve
the mystery.
"Mandy! Lord! 'm, 'Mandy was two back. She 's de one runned away wid Tom
Halleck, an' lef' me. I don't know how _she_ is. I never went ahter
her. I wuz re-ally glad to git shet o' her. She was too expansive. Dat
ooman want two frocks a year. When dese women begin to dress up so much,
a man got to look out. Dee ain't always dressin' fer _you!_"
"Indeed!" But Mrs. Meriwether's irony was lost on Jabez.
"Yes, 'm; dat she did! Dis one 's name was Sairey." He folded his hands
and waited, the picture of repose and contentment.
"Oh, yes. So; true. I 'd forgotten that 'Mandy l-
eft you. But I thought
the new one was named Susan!" observed Mrs. Meriwether.
"No, 'm; not de _newes_' one. Susan--I had her las' Christmas; but she
would n' stay wid me. She was al'ays runnin' off to town; an' you know a
man don' want a ooman on wheels. Ef de Lawd had intended a ooman to have
wheels, he 'd 'a' gi'n 'em to her, would n' he?"
"Well, I suppose he would," assented Mrs. Meriwether. "And this one is
Sarah? Well, how is----?"
"Yes, 'm; dis one was Sairey." We just caught the past tense.
"You get them so quickly, you see, you can't expect one to remember
them," said Mrs. Meriwether, frigidly. She meant to impress Jabez; but
Jabez remained serene.
"Yes, 'm; dat 's so," said he, cheerfully. "I kin hardly remember 'em
myself."
"No, I suppose not." His mistress grew severe. "Well, how 's Sarah?"
"Well, m'm, I could n' exactly say--Sairey she 's done lef me--yes, 'm."
He looked so cheerful that his mistr-