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countably had returned to the hotel. He had a dinner on a black oxidized tin tray.

She told him to put it on her table. John entered gingerly, rolling his eyes after the manner of a frightened Negro.

"Goin' away, Miss Nessie?" he asked in a low voice.

The girl nodded and looked at the food with throbbing temples. The black boy shifted feet and cap uneasily.

"Is dey anything else I kin bring ye, Miss Nessie?"

"I'm not hungry, John."

"Yessum," agreed the boy.

The girl thought he was waiting for the plates and sipped a little of the thick soup. Its greasiness made her shudder and almost nauseated her.

"You can take it all away," she said in a sick voice.

"Yessum." He moved again to the table and when he was nearest her he said in a low tone without looking at her, "Miss Nessie, would you min' if I tol' you somp'in'?"

"What is it?" she asked in the same tone.

"You won't tell I tol' je?" whispered the Negro, plainly frightened—"'case, if you did, you sho will git me in Dutch, Miss Nessie."

"No, I won't tell. What is it?"

The Negro looked at her and barely whispered, moving his thick dark lips in the exaggerated manner of his race.

"Whitecaps gwinter git you to-night, Miss Nessie. I heared it down to de garage. Dat's why I tuk my ol' job back. . . ."

The girl's face went white.

"Coming for me?"

The Negro nodded, terrified; there was nothing under heaven which frightened him as badly as the whitecaps.

"Now I gotto go, I sho is gwinter git out o' dis town; an', please, if you don't want me hung up lak Mistah Peck Bradley, please don' tell I tol' je, Miss Nessie."

"I—I won't," promised the girl.

"Thank ye, Miss Nessie," the Negro whispered humbly, took up his tray, and passed silently out of the door.