Jasper whipped Petunia with great apparent severity day before
yesterday, and we have been having the most heavenly waffles and broiled
chicken ever since. I dismissed Jasper for doing it, but Petunia came
into my room and cried about it a half-hour, so I had to go out where he
was rubbing the silver and forgive him and hire him over.

"When a woman gits her mouth stuck out at a man and the world in general
three days hand running they ain't nothing to cure it but a stick," he
answered with lofty scorn.

"Yes'm, dat's so," answered Petunia. "I never come outen a spell so easy
before." And her yellow face had a pink glow of happiness all over it as
she smiled lovably on the black brute.

I went off into a corner and sat down for a quiet hour to think. Nobody
in the world knows everything.

"Supper's on the table," Jasper announced, after having seen Mr. Haley
go down the front walk to-night. Jasper has such great respect for the
cloth that never in the world would he have asked Mr. Haley in to supper
without having at least a day to prepare for him. Any of my other
friends he would have asked, regardless of whether or not I wanted them.

I somehow didn't feel that I could eat alone to-night, but it was too
late to go for Sallie or Cousin Jasmine, and besides it is weak-minded
to feel that way. Why shouldn't I want to eat by myself?

This is a great big house for just one woman, and I don't see why I have
to be that one! I never was intended to be single. I seem to even think