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For a long half minute she stared at him, her face whitening and the great tears beginning to run down her cheeks. They ran faster and faster. She gave a great sob and then she threw her arms about the old Judge’s neck and buried her face on his shoulder.

“Oh, I never dreamed it! I never dreamed it! I never had a suspicion! And I’ve been so cruel to her, so heartless! Oh, Judge Priest, why did you and Doctor Lake ever let her do it? Why did you let her make that sacrifice?”

He patted her shoulder gently.

“Well, honey, we did try at first to discourage her from the notion, but we mighty soon seen it wasn’t any use to try, and a little later on, comin’ to think it over, we decided mebbe we didn’t want to try any more. There’re some impulses in this world too noble to be interfered with or hampered or thwarted, and some sacrifices so fine that none of us should try to spoil ’em by settin’ up ourselves and our own wills in the road. That’s how I felt. That’s how Lew Lake felt. That’s how we both felt. And anyhow she kept p’intin’ out that she wouldn’ never need that there little house, because so long ez she lived she’d have a home with you two girls. That’s whut she said, anyway.”

“But why weren’t we allowed to know before now? Why didn’t we know–Mildred and I–ten days ago, so that she might have been spared the cruel thing I’ve done? Why didn’t she come out and tell us when we went to her and I told her she must get off the place? Why didn’t you tell me, Judge, before now–why didn’t you give me a hint before now?”

“Honey, I couldn’t. I was under a solemn promise not to tell–a promise that I’ve jest now broken. On the whole I think I’m glad I did break it. . . . Lemme see ef I kin remember in her own words whut she said to us? ‘Gen’l’mens,’ she says, ‘dem chillens is of de quality an’ entitled to hole up they haids wid de fines’ in de land. I don’t want never to have dem demeaned by lettin’ dem know or by lettin’ ary other pusson know dat an old black nigger woman furnished de money to help mek fine young ladies of ’em. So long ez I live,’ she says, ‘dey ain’t never to heah it frum my lips an’ you must both gimme yore word dat dey don’t never heah it frum yourn. W’en I dies, an’ not befo’ den, dey may know de truth. De day dey lays me in de coffin you kin tell ’em both de secret–but not befo’!’ she says.

“So you see, child, we were under a pledge, and till to-day I’ve kept that pledge. Nobody knows about the sale of that little piece of property except Aunt Sharley and Lew Lake and me and the man who bought it and the man who recorded the deed that I drew up. Even the man who bought it never learned the real name of the previous owner, and the matter of the recordin’ was never made public. Whut’s the good of my bein’ the circuit judge of this district without I’ve got influence enough with the county clerk to see that a small real-estate transaction kin be kept frum pryin’ eyes? So you see only five people knowed anything a-tall about that sale, and only three of them knowed the true facts, and now I’ve told you, and so that makes four that are sharin’ the secret. . . . Don’t carry on so, honey. ‘Tain’t ez ef you’d done somethin’ that couldn’t be mended. You’ve got all your life to make it up to her. And besides, you were in ignorance until jest now. . . . Now, Emmy Lou, I ain’t goin’ to advise you; but I certainly would like to hear frum your own lips whut you do aim to do?”