"Uncle Dannie!" cried a child's voice. "Please let me ride to the
barn with you!"
A winsome little maid came rushing to Dannie, threw her arms
about his neck, and hugged him tight, as he stooped to lift her.
Her yellow curls were against his cheek, and her breath was
flower- sweet in his face.
"Why didn't you kiss Aunt Mary?" she demanded. "Daddy Dolan
always kisses mammy when he comes from all day gone. Aunt Mary's
worked so hard to please you. And Daddie worked, and mammy
worked, and another woman. You are pleased, ain't you, Uncle
Dannie?"
"Who told ye to call me Uncle?" asked Dannie, with unsteady lips.
"She did!" announced the little woman, flourishing the whip in
the direction of the cabin. Dannie climbed down to unhitch. "You
are goin' to be my Uncle, ain't you, as soon as it's a little
over a year, so folks won't talk?"
"Who told ye that?" panted Dannie, hiding behind a horse.
"Nobody told me! Mammy just SAID it to Daddy, and I heard,"
answered the little maid. "And I'm glad of it, and so are all of
us glad. Mammy said she'd just love to come here now, whin things
would be like white folks. Mammy said Aunt Mary had suffered a
lot more'n her share. Say, you won't make her suffer any more,
will you?"
"No," moaned Dannie, and staggered into the barn with the horses.
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