"You'd sure be a swell nigger wid dat on, Honey," she chuckled to
herself. "Wouldn't dem deacons holler if dey done see dat?"
The picture of the deacons' astonishment at such a spectacle so
grew upon Mandy, that she was obliged to cover her generous mouth
to shut in her convulsive laughter, lest it awaken the little
girl in the bed. She crossed to the old-fashioned bureau which
for many months had stood unused against the wall. The drawer
creaked as she opened it to lay away the gay, spangled gown.
"It'll be a mighty long time afore she puts on dem tings agin,"
she said, with a doubtful shake of her large, round head.
Then she went back to the chair and picked up Polly's sandals,
and examined the bead-work with a great deal of interest.
"Lawdy, lawdy!" she cried, as she compared the size of the
sandals to that of her own rough, worn shoes. She was again upon
the point of exploding with laughter, as the church bell added a
few, final and more emphatic clangs to its warning.
She turned with a start, motioning a vain warning out of the
window for the bell to be silent, but the little sleeper was
already stirring uneasily on her pillow. One soft arm was thrown
languidly over her head. The large, blue eyes opened and closed
dreamily as she murmured the words of the clown song that Jim and
Toby had taught her years ago:
"Ting ling,
That's what the bells sing----"
Mandy reached the side of the bed as the girl's eyes opened a
second time and met hers with a blank stare of astonishment.
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