He struck his fat hands together."Where's Joe Louden?" he asked, sharply."I want to see him.Did you leave him at Miss Tabor's?""He's goin' to sit up with Eskew.What do you want of him?""I should say you better ask that!" Mrs.
Flitcroft began, shrilly."It's enough, I guess, for one of this family to go runnin' after him and shakin'
hands with him and Heaven knows what not! NORBERTFLITCROFT!"But Norbert jumped from the porch, ruthlessly crossed his grandmother's geranium-bed, and, making off at as sharp a pace as his architecture permitted, within ten minutes opened Ariel's gate.
Sam Warden came forward to meet him.
"Don't ring, please, suh," said Sam."Dey sot me out heah to tell inquirin' frien's dat po' ole Mist'
Arp mighty low."
"I want to see Mr.Louden," returned Norbert.
"I want to see him immediately."
"I don' reckon he kin come out yit," Sam said, in a low tone."But I kin go in an' ast 'em."He stepped softly within, leaving Norbert waiting, and went to the door of the sick-room.The door was open, the room brightly lighted, as Eskew had commanded when, a little earlier, he awoke.
Joe and Ariel were alone with him, leaning toward him with such white anxiety that the colored man needed no warning to make him remain silent in the hallway.The veteran was speaking and his voice was very weak, seeming to come from a great distance.