I had previously
convinced him that we never had the remotest idea of parting with the old
lady. Consequently we had never estimated her value, but that I thought my
fifth at the time of the settling of the estate would have been about one
hundred dollars. After I had made several visits, the three came to see my
other picture.
The day after their departure Mammy called. She was in fine spirits over a
visit that she had made to my new friends, at their earnest request. All
the time that she was speaking she was working at a knot in the corner of
her handkerchief. I knew that she kept her small valuables there, but was
thunderstruck when she extracted two fifty-dollar bills.
"Why, Mammy! Where--"
"Dat's all right, honey. The Bureau gent'man fix it all, jess like I tole
you. He said dat he done 'nquired, an' yo' fif' was wuth dat--two fifties,
one hundred--an' I let him off de res."
"But what gentleman?"
"Dat gent'man whar was at de Spottswood Hotel. He tole me he wuz agent for
de Bureau. An' I tell you, Mahs William, dey's quality, dem folks. You
kain' fool Becky."
Of course I did not enlighten Mammy.
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