Ishmael; Or, In the Depths. Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

from Nora's neck a narrow black ribbon, and removed from it a plain gold ring.

      "A wedding-ring!" exclaimed Dinah, in perplexity.

      "Yes, it was put upon her finger by the man that married her. Then it was taken off and hung around her neck, because for certain reasons she could not wear it openly. But now it shall go with her to the grave in its right place," said Hannah, as she slipped the ring upon the poor dead finger.

      "Lor', child, who was it as married of her?"

      "I cannot tell you. I am bound to secrecy."

      The old negress shook her head slowly and doubtfully.

      "I's no misdoubts as she was innocenter dan a lamb, herself, for she do look it as she lay dar wid de heabenly smile frozen on her face; but I do misdoubts dese secrety marriages; I 'siders ob 'em no 'count. Ten to one, honey, de poor forso'k sinner as married her has anoder wife some'ers."

      Without knowing it the old woman had hit the exact truth.

      Hannah sighed deeply, and wondered silently how it was that neither Dinah nor Jovial had ever once suspected their young master to be the man.

      Old Dinah perceived that her conversation distressed Hannah, and so she threw off her bonnet and cloak and set herself to work to help the poor bereaved sister.

      There was enough to occupy both women. There was the dead mother to be prepared for burial, and there was the living child to be cared far.

      By the time that they had laid Nora out in her only white dress, and had fed the babe and put it to sleep, and cleaned up the cottage, the winter day had drawn to its close and the room was growing dark.

      Old Dinah, thinking it was time to light up, took a home-dipped candle from the cupboard, and seeing a piece of soiled paper on the table, actually lighted her candle with a check for five thousand dollars!

      And thus it happened that the poor boy who, without any fault of his mother, had come into the world with a stigma on his birth, now, without any neglect of his father, was left in a state of complete destitution as well as of entire orphanage.

      On the Tuesday following her death poor Nora Worth was laid in her humble grave under a spreading oak behind the hut.

      This spot was selected by Hannah, who wished to keep her sister's last resting-place always in her sight, and who insisted that every foot of God's earth, enclosed or unenclosed—consecrated or unconsecrated—was holy ground.

      Jim Morris, Professor of Odd Jobs for the country side, made the coffin, dug the grave, and managed the funeral.

      The Rev. William Wynne, the minister who had performed the fatal nuptial ceremony of the fair bride, read the funeral services over her dead body.

      No one was present at the burial but Hannah Worth, Reuben Gray, the two old negroes, Dinah and Jovial, the Professor of Odd Jobs, and the officiating clergyman.