ask others to help‚ÅÝ‚Äîthe women and girls and school children‚ÅÝ‚Äîthey will all help.‚Äù
“Can you put trust in that sort of help?”
“We can when once the community learns that it pays.”
“Does you own the land?” asked Johnson suddenly.
“No; we’re buying it, and it’s part paid for already.”
The discussion became general. Zora moved about among the men whispering and explaining; while Johnson moved, too, objecting and hinting. At last he arose.
“Brethren,” he began, “the plan’s good enough for talkin’ but you can’t work it; who ever heer’d tell of such a thing? First place, the land ain’t yours; second place, you can’t get it worked; third place, white folks won’t ’low it. Who ever heer’d of such working land on shares?”
“You do it for white folks each day, why not for yourselves,” Alwyn pointed out.
“ ’Cause we ain’t white, and we can’t do nothin’ like that.”
Tylor was asleep and snoring and the others looked doubtfully at each other. It was a proposal a little too daring for them, a bit too far beyond their experience. One consideration alone kept them from shrinking away and that was Zora‚Äôs influence. Not a man was there whom she had not helped and encouraged nor who had not perfect faith in her; in her impetuous hope, her deep enthusiasm, and her strong will. Even her defects‚ÅÝ‚Äîthe hard-held temper, the