"It's impossible--"
"Boom--boom!" pealed two guns in quick succession.
"De Lawd save us!" Lucy screamed.
"You see they're doing it--come--"
Jennie grasped her grandmother's hand firmly and dragged her from the
house. From the servants' quarters came one long wail of prayer and
lamentation mingled with shouts and exhortation. An old bed-ridden black
woman, a fervent Methodist, raised a hymn:
"_Better days are coming, we'll all go right!_"
Jennie had reached the gate when she suddenly remembered her canary--a
present Billy had given her on her eighteenth birthday. She rushed back
into the house, snatched the cage up and started on the run again.
What was the use? It was impossible to take the bird. He would starve to
death.
She quickly opened the cage, took him out and kissed his yellow head.
"Good-by, Jimmy darling!"
The tears would come in spite of all she could do.
"I hope you'll be happy!"
With quick decision she tossed him in the air.
The bird gave one helpless chirp of surprise and terror at the strange
new world, fluttered in a circle, spread his wings at last and was gone.
The girl brushed her tears away and returned to her grandmother's side.
The gravel was cutting her feet. Her shoes were utterly unfit for
running.
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