_Wherein Foresta First Appears._
When the young woman who had committed herself to Bud Harper's care
awoke the next morning she saw standing near her a tall, slender, Negro
girl, of a dark brown complexion.
"My name is Foresta," said the girl, showing the tips of her beautiful
white teeth. Her lips were thin, her nose prettily chiseled, her skin
smooth, her brow high, her head covered with an ample supply of jet
black hair. "Excuse me, please," said Foresta, "but mama told me to tell
you that breakfast would soon be ready."
Foresta having delivered her message, for which she was thanked, did not
at once turn to leave. Her pretty brown eyes nestling under equally
pretty eyebrows, looked lovingly into the stranger's face. Without
saying more, however, Foresta left the room. A little later she brought
the young woman's breakfast, clearing the center table to make room for
it.
[Illustration: "Her pretty brown eyes, nestling under equally pretty
eyebrows, looked lovingly into the stranger's face." (24-25.)]
"We eat in the kitchen. It is mighty warm in there, though, in the
summer time with fire in the stove. We thought we would do a little
better by you than that," said Foresta apologetically. She sat down to
keep the young woman's company while the latter was eating.
"That was Bud Harper that brought you here last night," said Foresta,
unable to repress a smile over some pleasing thought that was passing
through her mind.
The young woman looked up from her breakfast. "My!" she said, "Your eyes
are pretty. They are such a lovely brown."
"I'll swap hair with you," said Foresta, feeling of her own hair and
looking admiringly at the wealth of beautiful black hair on the young
woman's head.
"You would cheat yourself. Your hair isn't as long as mine, but it is so
black and lovely," said the young woman.
Looking at Foresta from head to foot, plainly but neatly dressed, the
young woman remarked, "You are a pretty girl, Foresta--and a good girl,"
pausing between the former and the latter complimentary reference.
Foresta's kindly face lighted up with joy at the compliment. For some
time she had felt, without knowing what it was that she felt, the need
of a confidante--some one with a fellow-feeling to whom she could talk.
"Something funny happened once about Bud Harper and----"
"Yourself," said the young woman, with a sweet, knowing look.
"Yes," admitted Foresta with a light laugh, pleased that the young woman
was entering so readily into the spirit of the recital. "Bud had a
brother Dave that looked just like him," said Foresta. "Almost, I mean,"
she added, remembering that nobody was to be put on a level with Bud.
"Poor Dave is dead now," she said in sad tones, looking the young woman
fully in the face as if making a further study of her.
Satisfied with the result of the inspection, Foresta now said in a
confidential tone: "Dave died in the penitentiary. He and a white man
got in a fight. Dave killed him in self-defense. Dave could have come
clear, but it wouldn't have done any good. He would have been lynched.
His lawyers advised him to take a twenty years' sentence to satisfy the
clamor, and said they were sure they could get him a pardon. All of
Dave's friends thought it was better to take his chances with a good
governor rather than a mob."
Foresta's eyes now filled with tears. "It did hurt poor Dave so to go to
the penitentiary. He was such a good-hearted boy. He died there in about
a year and a half. It may be he's better off." Foresta now paused an
instant. Shaking off the spell of sadness she said, "But that's not what
I started out to tell you."
"I know it isn't," said the young woman, smiling sadly.
"Don't be too sure you know what I have to tell," said Foresta,
laughing. "It is really something funny."
"I am listening," said the young woman.
"One night Bud went to church with me. You know our church is called the
'high falutin' church,' and a good many of the poorer and plain people
don't like to go there. Well, Bud isn't a highly educated boy and he
doesn't like our church for anything. He likes the preacher all right.
He will hardly ever go in and sit with me. He walks about out doors till
church is out, then comes back home with me. You are tired listening to
my foolishness, aren't you?" asked Foresta.
"Not at all. I am interested," said the young woman reassuringly.
"Well, Bud is a sort of a bashful boy. Dave was just the opposite. Dave
was full of nerve. Bud kept a 'hemming and hawing' trying to, trying to
er----"
"Well, just say that he was trying to," said the young woman, and the
two laughed heartily.
"Dave kept after Bud to speak out, but Bud was afraid that he would
spoil matters," resumed Foresta. "They rigged up a scheme to find out
where I stood without Bud's risking too much. Now, remember, Bud and
Dave looked just alike, almost. Many a time I have taken one for the
other. When little they often got scolded and beaten for one another.
Their father never could tell them apart. Bud came to church with me
one night, and he and Dave agreed that Dave was to carry me home without
my knowing it was Dave. Dave was to make out that he was Bud and make a
dash of some sort to find out how Bud stood with me. On our way home
Dave didn't talk much. That helped to fool me, because Bud and I have
gone along not saying a word; only looking at each other now and then.
But that night Dave, whom I was taking to be Bud, was unusually quiet.
And I thought then that he was meditating something. When Dave got home
with me, he stood between me and the gate and said, 'You must pay toll
to get in.' I knew he was asking me to kiss him. 'If you don't let me by
I will call mama,' I said, mostly for fun, for I knew that Bud thought
mama was against him. You ought to have seen Dave stepping aside to let
me in. I didn't say another word, but walked into the yard and upon the
porch. I knocked. Mama came and unlocked the door and went back. 'Good
night,' said I. But Dave wouldn't move. He was so afraid that he had
spoiled things for Bud. I stood there and thought a while. It came to me
that it might not be wise to treat Bud's first attempt to say what I was
willing for him to say, too coolly. And yet I didn't want to appear too
anxious. You know what I mean," said Foresta appealingly.
"I understand you, perfectly, though my time hasn't come yet," said the
young woman.
"So I stood on the porch," continued Foresta, "looking away from Dave,
thinking and thinking how I could save myself and not hurt Bud too much.
Womanlike, I suppose, I decided to make a sacrifice of myself. I opened
my door a little. Quick as a flash, but so he could plainly see what I
was doing, I threw a kiss and darted in the house. Dave fairly flew to
where Bud was waiting for him. Dave told Bud all about it and the two
boys liked to have hugged each other to death. Dave having opened the
way, Bud grew bolder very fast. After everything was understood between
us and the time set, Bud told me all about the trick. And I boxed his
ears for him. If you are here I want you to come to my and Bud's
wedding."
Foresta now arose to go. Holding up a finger of warning, she said, "We
haven't told the old folks yet."