And Sinai hissed like an enraged goose, while her eyes snapped, and her lean body shook.

"Hush, 'ooman, fur de love o' de saints! De child is widin sound."

"Hoh! so leetle missy not know all true ob her so much 'spectable nuss! Reckon I'll tell. Missy-Miss Dina—”

and wrinkled in large wrinkles like folds clean an' smooz as a swimmin' fish, an' of black woollen overlapping each other. ben's yo' wicked ole knees befo' de Virgin, The face widened from the brow, and the an' tinks yo'self too good to drink de café chin seemed to repeat itself in a great bag | noir wid Sinai. Skt!" of flesh, where one might imagine she stowed away odd bits as in a kangaroo's pouch. She was arrayed, this interesting link of humanity, in a red linsey skirt. short enough to display her bare feet and ankles, around which cast-off snake-skins were bound as amulets against rheumatism. A sacque opening nearly to her waist in a V shape showed a tattooed neck ornamented with chains and charms and things without a name. There were amber beads, and a little carved horseshoe, and a wooden fetich, and a child's caul tied up in a piece of buckskin. Finally, from this mysterious bosom a strong odor of asafoetida exhaled as Sinai moved briskly about Dulcie's kitchen, preparing her coffee.

For answer Maum Dulcie began turning the leaves of her book and crooning something expressive of her entire willingness for the wicked ones of earth to backbite her "jes' as much as dey please,' if the Lord would only hand down her crown, and wash her in His flowing blood. "Er crown!" shrieked Sinai, apparently addressing spirits of the air. "Listen at dat murderin' h'ole hypocrite! Who gwine ter gib zat crown?-Lord or debbil? B'liebe you tries work under bot'!"

"Shet yo' scandalous mouf!" said Dulcie.

"Scand'lous? Zat means I spiks lies? Skt! Who seed yo' las' moon-risin' w'en Hoodoos met a-dancin', an' a-chargin', an' a-rarin', an' a-foamin' at de lips like ze cotton-mouth snake? Whar wuz zat w'ite hank'chif zen? Whar was dem black silk stockin's zat you sticks y'ole elephant feet out for ter show? Hoh! yo' legs wuz bar' as mine, an' a-whirlin' roun' like de win', an' yo' wuz a-sayin' de mos' bad words. Skt! To-day yo' walks hin' leetle missy

"You needn't say any more," cried Dina, running in. "I've heard every word, and I'll thank you not to abuse Maum Dulcie any more. If you do, you get no coffee, no anything, in this house, ever again!"

"Spec's I'll go," muttered Sinai, untying her coffee bag; "but look to yo'self, little snappin'-tertle."

66

'Honey, don't anger her," said Maum Dulcie. "She'll trick you, she will. She's got de evil-eye."

66

"If she does, I'll have her whipped," cried Dina, energetically, red spots coming into her cheeks. 'Now aren't you ashamed of yourself, you wicked old heathen ?"

Neither old heathen seemed sure which was addressed, for Dulcie began to cry, and Sinai whined out, "Don' ye go be hard on po' ole destite 'ooman, honey. I wouldn't do no harm t' ye, nod so much as breathe on de flower in yo' liddle han'."

"Well, I think you wouldn't," cried the girl, throwing back her head. "I'd like to see anybody that could harm Adine Mabyn. Now leave, Sinai; and don't you come into this kitchen again until you have permission from me."

Sinai crept out, and the young princess, relaxing from her dignity, began to laugh. Then she pointed her slim little forefinger at the shame-covered Dulcie.

"Ah, Dulcie-Dulcie Dover! I've found you out! Ha ha ha!"

The girlish laughter pealed through the kitchen. She looked so pretty standing there, her black hair down-dropping, her face sparkling with a child's mirth.

"Oh, honey, don't laugh. I's shame to look at you--'deed I is."

"I don't mind it; I think it's fun. Why didn't you tell me long ago, when I begged so for your secret ?"

It's nuthin' fur you ter know." "Well, I know now, so you may as

well make a clean breast, and tell me all about it. What is Hoodooism, anyhow?" "It's de ole African r'ligion, honey. It's jes' like white folks' r'ligion, on'y it's heathenism, an' dey worships de debbil." "Worship the devil! I should think you would be afraid to."

"I's afeard not to," said Dulcie, with a groan, "an' I comes to de Virgin prayin' her pardon."

"Want to keep in with both sides, do you? Look out, Maum Dulcie, or, between two stools, you'll fall to the ground." "Yes, dat is my torment." "Now suppose you should make friends with the devil," said Dina, argumentatively, "what could he do for you?"

"Why, honey, dem dat is faithful is promoted in his kingdom, an' dey is free to wander 'mongst de stars an' roun' de earth, a-settin' traps an' ketchin' souls fur de burnin' pit."

"Nice business, that! Now come, Maumie, you know it's all nonsense. Why don't you give it up?"

"Honey, you min' dat big nigger dat yo' pappy's had whupped over an' over agin fur drunkenness ?"

66

"I do," said Dina, with a prompt shudder. "I saw him whipped once. The blood came. 99

"Yes, childie; an' right it wuz fur Mars' Frank ter try an' cure dat sinner ob his sins. But what wuz de good? When he sol' one o' his pigs or chickens to de white folks, or some gentleman tossed him a quarter, off he wuz ter spen' it in drink. An' does you min' de time dat he broke inter de wine-cellar, an' wuz foun' stretched out, dead as a snake in winter, wid drink?"

"Yes, and how papa shut him up in the crib for a week, giving him nothing but bread and water."

said Dulcie, with despairing emphasis; "an' somethin' pulls an' pushes till I git dar. I feels it as if cords wuz aroun' my neck, an' han's pushin' from behin', an' I has no peace till I is wid de essemblage of de glitterin' ones. Den good-by to de blessed Virgin an' de thorn-crowned Lord. Dim dey is as de shade ob a salt cedar in de sun; but Satan flares befo' me like a fire in de forest, an' I dances in de ring till sense an' remembrance is gone."

Dina drew a long breath. "Maumie, how I should like to see a Hoodoo meeting!"

"Little missy, is you crazy?"

"No, I'm not. And I will see one. Won't you take me some time?"

"Not while de breff is in dis body.' "You shall," cried little warm-tempered Dina-"you shall take me. I order it. Or I'll tell papa you're a Hoodoo, and he'll send you off to one of his sugar plantations."

"And

Dulcie rose, her eyes flashing. you'd be a tell-tale? With your blood?" Then she burst into tears.

Dina was in her arms in a moment, but not forgetting in her burst of remorse to renew her entreaties.

"Would I hol' a cup o' pizen to yer lips, my chile?"

"You know that is foolishness, Maumie. How could it hurt me just to go and look on a little while?"

"I won't! I won't! I won't!" said Maum Dulcie.

And swearing she would ne'er consent, consented.

VI.

A few weeks later, one of Mr. Mabyn's creditors foreclosed a mortgage on a sugar plantation up in the interior of the State. It was decided to sell the personal property, including the negroes that appertained to the estate, at auction, in New Orleans, and a prolonged absence was necessitated for Mr. Mabyn. He left the home and Dina, as usual, in the charge of Maum Dulcie. It had not yet occurred to the father that his daughter was anything more than the unobtrusive child whom he had occasionally observed at play in the yard.

"An' a whuppin'," said Dulcie, "every mornin', reg'lar as sun-up. Well, dat didn't cure him. An', my birdie, dat nigger walked inter misery wid his eyes wide open. He knowed dat a bitter an' black punishment wuz at de end ob his rope, but he bore it for de sake o' de drink. Dar wuz a cravin' an' a gnawin' widin him, an' he wuz a hungry lion till he had filled himself. Den he turned inter a sneakin' wolf, a-howlin' for marcy." "A light breaks," laughed Dina. "I begin to see what all this has to do with Hoodoos." "De Hoodoo meetin' is my drink," woven with her being, and all her blood

VOL LXII.-No. 371.-47

After Dina's discovery of her secret, Maum Dulcie had made strong resolutions of abstinence as to Hoodoo entice- . ments. But it was very curious. Some wild superstition of her race was inter

fired when she heard that the Hoodoo | line.
priest had called a meeting of his devo-
tees. Instinct, like a leaping passion or
mother-love, was stronger than reason.
No force could hold her back, when from
the altar that bugle sounded.

It was but a few days after her father's departure that indolent Dina noticed one of the old restless fits coming over Maum Dulcie. She had been watching for it, truth to tell, and she whispered in her nurse's ear, "There is to be a meeting tonight."

"Yes, honey, but Dulcie ain't a-gwine ter no mo' sich heathen gatherin's." "I know what that means that you will wait until I am asleep, and then slip away. Come, Maumie. It's no use. I'm going to keep you out of mischief." "Miss Dina," said Dulcie, emphatically, "I puts my foot down as ter one thing. Ef go you will, you's got ter dress all muffled up, wid yo' face hid, an' ter keep out o' sight, an' ter come home soon's I says de word. Holy Mary! nobody mus' know dat Dina Mabyn was at a Hoodoo meetin'. It might spile yo' chance for a husban', honey."

"I'll risk that," laughed Dina, "only to go-to go-to go; that is the thing for us to do."

The night was dark when two figures stole from the Mabyn gate and plunged into the shadows. There was no moon, and the palely glittering stars lent no light to earth. Dina clung to Maum Dulcie's arm. Even to her fearless soul this began to seem a wild freak. They walked along the beach, seeing no one-for the hour was midnight-until Dina began to tire, when Dulcie struck across the flat land.

They had not far to go-for in its widest part the island only measured three miles-before they saw blue lights dancing in the darkness.

In its centre was a rough stone structure that looked to Dina more like a tottering chimney than anything else, but which her nurse informed her in a whisper was "de altar." A fire was kindled under it, and across two stones a pot simmered, its contents exhaling an odor so queerly blended that only a very educated nostril could have disentangled its component essences. Around the caldron let us name it caldron, as being witchhinting and weird-negroes were skipping, less clad than decency allows, and all holding pine torches above their heads. One figure,

"above the rest

In shape and gesture proudly eminent, who might have been the priest, would occasionally stir the bubbling mixture, and add something to its contents from a stone jug. When the jug was emptied, the negroes one by one danced up to the pot-caldron-and dipping into it with small green gourds that they drew from their bosoms, drank down the steaming liquor as unconcernedly as if it had been pine-apple juice. Whatever it was, it seemed to take immediate effect, or its drinking was a preconcerted signal, for the dance grew faster, and a wild song began a thrilling monotony of five notes, repeated again and again, alternately fast or slow, low or loud, ever varying, yet ever the same. Dulcie, holding herself rigid beside her young mistress, began to jerk like a mummy touched by a galvanic battery. Suddenly she tore herself from Dina's detaining grasp, rushed forward with an African yell, and joined in the dance as wild and mad as any Hoodoo among them.

"I believe Maumie is right," thought the forsaken Dina, with a cool little shrug of her shoulders. "It is the devil's own worship."

"Dar dey is!" whispered Maum Dulcie. On they pressed. A cluster of cedars and oleanders concealed and revealed the light in fitful gleams. They drew nearer, and Dina felt herself stumbling over stones. Dulcie took her by the arm, and guided her among the trees to a great live-ish spite was vented upon it. oak.

"Stop here.' Hidden by the tree, Dina peered out at a very curious sight.

The heath had been cleared of the sharp shrubs and grasses that still grew at the edge of the circle, and formed a boundary

The impression deepened every moment. They did look tremendously like demons, dancing and howling round the fire, and maltreating a straw effigy produced from behind the altar. Evidently this personified an enemy, for a fiendIt was thrown down, trampled, stuck through with knives, whipped, and spat upon. Finally it was lighted with a blazing brand, and tossed into a grave - shaped hole. After this the excitement seemed to die out; some threw earth into the pit as if they were filling a grave, others

leaned against each other, breathing heavi- | lipped wretch, "you've got ter take dat ly. Dina's eyes had borne enough, and, back 'fo' you leaves dis place, whar you've deciding to leave Maumie Dulcie, she had stole our secret." just turned to slip away, when she was startled by old Sinai's shrill voice.

and I hope it will cure Maum Dulcie of | simples, blending and compounding with Hoodooism. She doesn't really believe exquisite nicety. The results were curiin it, you know. She is a good CathoBut sometimes she is tempted of the