Into unnatural brightness. She could hear an Irish voice singing,

hear the hard rapid pounding of hooves coming up the pasture hill

at Tara, hear a reckless voice, so like the voice of her child:

"Ellen! Watch me take this one!"

"No!" she cried. "No! Oh, Bonnie, stop!"

Even as she leaned from the window there was a fearful sound of

splintering wood, a hoarse cry from Rhett, a melee of blue velvet

and flying hooves on the ground. Then Mr. Butler scrambled to his

feet and trotted off with an empty saddle.

On the third night after Bonnie's death, Mammy waddled slowly up

the kitchen steps of Melanie's house. She was dressed in black

from her huge men's shoes, slashed to permit freedom for her toes,

to her black head rag. Her blurred old eyes were bloodshot and red

rimmed, and misery cried out in every line of her mountainous

figure. Her face was puckered in the sad bewilderment of an old

ape but there was determination in her jaw.

She spoke a few soft words to Dilcey who nodded kindly, as though

an unspoken armistice existed in their old feud. Dilcey put down

the supper dishes she was holding and went quietly through the

pantry toward the dining room. In a minute Melanie was in the

kitchen, her table napkin in her hand, anxiety in her face.

"Miss Scarlet isn't--"

"Miss Scarlett bearin' up, same as allus," said Mammy heavily. "Ah

din' ten ter 'sturb yo' supper, Miss Melly. Ah kin wait tell you

thoo ter tell you whut Ah got on mah mine."

"Supper can wait," said Melanie. "Dilcey, serve the rest of the

supper. Mammy, come with me."

Mammy waddled after her, down the hall past the dining room where

Ashley sat at the head of the table, his own little Beau beside him

and Scarlett's two children opposite, making a great clatter with

their soup spoons. The happy voices of Wade and Ella filled the

room. It was like a picnic for them to spend so long a visit with

Aunt Melly. Aunt Melly was always so kind and she was especially

so now. The death of their younger sister had affected them very

little. Bonnie had fallen off her pony and Mother had cried a long

time and Aunt Melly had taken them home with her to play in the

back yard with Beau and have tea cakes whenever they wanted them.

Melanie led the way to the small book-lined sitting room, shut the

door and motioned Mammy to the sofa.

"I was going over right after supper," she said. "Now that Captain

Butler's mother has come, I suppose the funeral will be tomorrow

morning."

"De fune'l. Dat's jes' it," said Mammy. "Miss Melly, we's all in

deep trouble an' Ah's come ter you fer he'p. Ain' nuthin' but

weery load, honey, nuthin' but weery load."

"Has Miss Scarlett collapsed?" questioned Melanie worriedly. "I've

hardly seen her since Bonnie-- She has been in her room and

Captain Butler has been out of the house and--"

Suddenly tears began to flow down Mammy's black face. Melanie sat

down beside her and patted her arm and, after a moment, Mammy

lifted the hem of her black skirt and dried her eyes.

"You got ter come he'p us, Miss Melly. Ah done de bes' Ah kin but