But Zora’s eyes snapped “No!” and Miss Smith continued:
“I borrowed ten thousand dollars. Then I tried to get the land, but Tolliver kept putting me off, and finally I learned that Colonel Cresswell had bought it. It seems that Tolliver got caught tight in the cotton corner, and that Cresswell, through John Taylor, offered him twice what he had agreed to sell to me for, and he took it. I don’t suppose Taylor knew what he was doing; I hope he didn’t.
‚ÄúWell, there I was with ten thousand dollars idle on my hands, paying ten percent on it and getting less than three percent. I tried to get the bank to take the money back, but they refused. Then I was tempted‚ÅÝ‚Äîand fell.‚Äù She paused, and Zora took both her hands in her own.
‚ÄúYou see,‚Äù continued Miss Smith, ‚Äújust as soon as the announcement of the prospective endowment was sent broadcast by the press, the donations from the North fell off. Letter after letter came from old friends of the school full of congratulations, but no money. I ought to have cut down the teaching force to the barest minimum, and gone North begging‚ÅÝ‚Äîbut I couldn‚Äôt. I guess my courage was gone. I knew how I‚Äôd have to explain and plead, and I just could not. So I used the ten thousand dollars to pay its own interest and help run the school. Already it‚Äôs half gone, and when the rest goes then will come the end.‚Äù
Without, the great red sun paused a moment over the edge of the swamp, and the long, low cry of night birds broke sadly on the twilight silence. Zora sat stroking the lined hands.
‚ÄúNot the end,‚Äù she spoke confidently. ‚ÄúIt cannot end like this. I‚Äôve got a little money that Mrs. ¬ÝVanderpool gave me, and somehow we must get more. Perhaps I might go North and‚ÅÝ‚Äîbeg.‚Äù She shivered. Then she sat up resolutely and turned to the book.