munching golden ears of corn, and mules drooping their heads in sorrowful memory of better days.
Beyond the cotton warehouse smoked the chimneys of the seed-mill and the cotton-gin; a red livery-stable faced them and all about three sides of the square ran stores; big stores and small wide-windowed, narrow stores. Some had old steps above the worn clay sidewalks, and some were flush with the ground. All had a general sense of dilapidation‚ÅÝ‚Äîsave one, the largest and most imposing, a three-story brick. This was Caldwell‚Äôs ‚ÄúEmporium‚Äù; and here Bles stopped and Miss Taylor entered.
Mr. ¬ÝCaldwell himself hurried forward; and the whole store, clerks and customers, stood at attention, for Miss Taylor was yet new to the county.
She bought a few trifles and then approached her main business.
‚ÄúMy brother wants some information about the county, Mr. ¬ÝCaldwell, and I am only a teacher, and do not know much about conditions here.‚Äù
‚ÄúAh! where do you teach?‚Äù asked Mr. ¬ÝCaldwell. He was certain he knew the teachers of all the white schools in the county. Miss Taylor told him. He stiffened slightly but perceptibly, like a man clicking the buckles of his ready armor, and two townswomen who listened gradually turned their backs, but remained near.
‚ÄúYes‚ÅÝ‚Äîyes,‚Äù he said, with uncomfortable haste. ‚ÄúAny‚ÅÝ‚Äîer‚ÅÝ‚Äîinformation‚ÅÝ‚Äîof course‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù Miss Taylor got out her notes.
“The leading landowners,” she began, sorting the notes searchingly, “I should like to know something about them.”
‚ÄúWell, Colonel Cresswell is, of course, our greatest landlord‚ÅÝ‚Äîa high-bred gentleman of the old school. He and his son‚ÅÝ‚Äîa worthy