Euonymus flinched again, yet showed generalship. "Yass'm, us kin go ax
daddy."

I smiled. "Let Robelia go and you stay here."

Robelia waited on tiptoe. "Go fetch him," murmured Euonymus, "an' make
has'e."

"Wait! You're a good boy, Euonymus, ain't you?"

"I cayn't say dat, mi'ss; but I'm glad ef you thinks so."

"Y' is good!" said Robelia. "You knows you is!"

"Never mind," I said; "do you belong to--Zion?"

The dark face grew radiant. "Yass'm, I does!"

"Euonymus, how many more of you-all are there besides _daddy and
mammy_?"

The surprise was cruel. The runaway's eyes let out a gleam of alarm
and then, as I lighted with kindness, filled with rapt wonder at my
miraculous knowledge: "Be'--be'--beside'--beside' d-daddy an' m-mammy?
D'ain't no mo', m-mist'ess; no'm!"

"Yass'm," put in Robelia, "da's all; us fo'."

"Just you four. Euonymus, a bit ago I noticed on your sister's ankles