"Wall, she's a smart, likely gal, or woman I s'pose you'd call her,
bein' she's just the age of my son."

Here Mrs. Nichols, suddenly remembering 'Lena's charge, stopped, but
John Jr., who loved to see the fun go on, started her again, by
asking what relatives Miss Scovandyke had in Virginia.

"'Leny told me not to mention Nancy, but bein' you've asked a civil
question, 'tain't more'n fair for me to answer it. Better'n forty
year ago Nancy's mother's aunt----"

"Which would be Miss Nancy's great-aunt," interrupted John Jr.

"Bless the boy," returned the old lady, "he's got the Nichols' head
for figgerin'. Yes, Nancy's great-aunt though she was six years and
two months younger'n Nancy's mother. Wall, as I was sayin', she went
off to Virginny to teach music. She was prouder'n Lucifer, and after
a spell she married a southerner, rich as a Jew, and then she never
took no more notice of her folks to hum, than's ef they hadn't been.
But the poor critter didn't live long to enjoy it, for when her first
baby was born, she died. 'Twas a little girl, but her folks in
Massachusetts have never heard a word whether she's dead or alive.
Joel Slocum, that's Nancy's nephew, says he means to go down there
some day, and look her up, but I wouldn't bother with 'em, for that
side of the house always did feel big, and above Nancy's folks,
thinkin' Nancy's mother married beneath her."

Mrs. Graham must have enjoyed her dinner very much, for during
grandma's recital she applied herself assiduously to her plate, never