had told her the real price was a dollar, but he had got it for less,
because the jeweler was selling out. It tarnished rather easily, but she
could rub it up. It was her only ornament, and she prized it as much as
some ladies prize their diamonds, but she loved her young mistress more
than she loved the ring, and her mistress, though dead, should have it.
It needed polishing, and she rubbed it until it looked nearly as well as
when Ted brought it to her from Jacksonville.

"I wish to de Lawd I knew ef dar was any partic'lar finger," she
thought, as she stood by the coffin looking at the calm face of her
mistress.

By good luck she selected the right finger, on which the ring slipped
easily, then folding the hands one over the other, and putting in them
some flowers, which, while they did not hide the ring, covered it
partially, so that only a very close observer would be apt to think it
was not real, she said, "If you wasn't married with a ring you shall be
buried with one, an' it looks right nice on you, it do, an' I hope ole
granny Thomas'll be hyar an' see it wid her snaky eyes speerin' 'round.
Axed me oncet who I s'posed de baby's fader was, an' I tole her de
gemman from de Norf, in course, an' den made up de lie an' tole her dey
had a weddin' on de sly in Georgy--kinder runaway, an' his kin was mad
an' kep' him to home 'cept oncet when he comed hyar to see her, an' I
'clar for't I doan think she b'lieve a word 'cept that he was hyar.
Everybody knowd that. I reckon she will gin in when she see de ring."

Pleased with what she had done, Mandy Ann left the room just as the
first instalment of people arrived, and with them old granny Thomas. In
the little community of Crackers scattered through the neighborhood
there were two factions, the larger believing in Eudora, and the smaller