The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-08
couydah.. 1912. by Journal Ams-ie.n E..miipe..
Continued.9

ssAm yo' de genPman wants to see meP' she inquired heavily, her arms akin1bo and one broad foot advanced, giving her a singularly truculent air. Kitty hastily vanished, and Kayton smiled upon the old negreSs.
 Are you Mrs. Beauregard?'' he in- qufred-
 'sYes, suh, Ah am,'' she replied, voice and expression being by no means en- couragfng .sAn' Ans heah to say An don' wanna see yo' Ans seen huff O. you p'leecemen. An obsahve ebry- ebry time anythin' bad occuhs in this heah wuhld yo' allus tries to put it on to cuIlud folks.''
 How long have you lived here, Mrs. Beauregard? ?" inquired Kayton cour- teously, ignoring the arraignment of the police
 'H'mr' snf6ed the cook contemptu- ousIy. tHow long has Ah libed heah7 Lavd O lobe, An allus Ifbed heahI An Hbed heah eber since Miss Mary wuz a li'P child What business is it O .yo's how long An libed heah?' And she gfared upon Kayton-
 ''WeIl," returned Kayton. eff you've lived here so long you must have been greatly attached to MT. Argyle"
 The old darky swelIed with wrath. "Don' yo' try to wish no scandal on me-" she warned him. "Ah wah'n no mo- 'tached to Mir Argyle dan MT. Argyle war 'tached to me. Dere wah'n nobody else in dis heah town could cook for hfm.''
 ''And I suppose you were just as much attached to Miss dazuret?"
 'tDoan yo' fgger yo' can make me say muffin 'gainst Miss Afary!'' storm ed Mrs Beauregard, shaking her fist at him. Come roun' heah tryin' to work up mo lies 'gainst dat chile fo' de news papers! An know huff to know she didn't done nufhn'"
 Kayton bit his lip. ''Young MT. Ar gyle," he said gravely. ''has brought me here to find out the truth. If you know anything that will help to clear Miss Mazuret you had better tell it.''
 The old termagant was impressed by both words and manner and regarded him doubtfuIly for a moment. Then she wheeled heavily upon the butler.
 ''Is dis heah man lyin' to me?'' she demanded flercely.
 Finley shook his head. There's tricks in all trades, Mrs Beauregard, but I'm thinkin' the truth can't hurt Miss Mary. So whatever ye know ye'd best tell i'm"
 h8YrOn nOOQeQ- w ell, what QO you known
 "Ah know" declared the cook defiant ly, Miss Mary hadn't muffin to do wi dat 'sassination, cause she was on de uppuh fioh all de time
 How do you know that?" asked Kayton.
 t''Cause An done see her dere.''
 Where were you?''
 %tAh was craWiin' up dem Kitchen staihs, an deh was a light up deh, an An look up an An see her"
 What brought you upstairs?"
 Mrs. Beauregard gathered up huge handfuls of her apron and rolled her eyes. swallowing visibly before she replied:
 well suh, An was walked up by pow'ful row in de middle ob de night 'Peahed like somebody must ha' fell down de stains. An was scahed -cohpse cold. Am den An wait an lissen an Iissen, an An don't heah muffin mo- Den An reckons Ah better 'vestigate dat eommotion. An',' her eyes rolled, 'tAh done it."
 'sDid you speak to Miss Mazuret:'' interposed Kayton.
 @No, suh," returned the old woman, with a violent shake of her woolly head "Ah wasn't speakin'; An was jes' lookfn'. Den An cal'late An mus dream ed some ob dat noise, so goes back to bed am didn't heah muffin mo- till mawnin'. An ''-she took a long breath-''if yo'H scuse me, mistah, Ah1l go right back to nah bakin'. Yo' all pears to fo'get dat folks gotta eat