Lida's heart was light as she neared her home despite the troubles that swirled about her. So lighthearted was she that she was whistling gaily. Her brother heard the tune and watched her as she crossed the yard. Seeing her gaiety aroused his resentment against the girl and her lover. He looked at her long and steadily, a scowl on his face. As she reached the top step he grew suspicious of her happiness. She was about to pass him and enter the dining room when he caught her by the shoulder.
"Here! Where've you been?" he demanded abruptly.
She whirled from under his grasp and stood facing him, piquancy and daring in her attitude. "What matter's it to you?" she asked.
"No girl's got any business running about over the country alone."
"Indeed? Since when?—I've done that all my life. At least until you and Daddy, appointed Mr. Marley my guardian?" she taunted.
"You need a guardian, all right. You ought to be put away," Elvin observed.
"And why?"
Elvin refused to answer. Suddenly he pointedly asked:
"Where's that—that—" he hesitated then continued—"Bennet?"
"How should I know," she answered innocently. "You knights of the old fields ought to know best. Didn't you find him last night?"
"No, we didn't find him, but we will and when we do—." He did not finish the threat for Lida whirled snapping her finger in his face.
"That for your threat. I'm ashamed of you all.—Murderers at heart. Murderers in soul.—And all for what? All because I want to marry the man of my choice."
"Yes, but he's got black blood in his veins. And no sister of mine will ever marry a black man.—No! by God, No."
"Ellie, Brother of Mine, he's as white as you—and in some ways whiter," Lida taunted.
"He may be white in skin but a drop of black blood in his veins, you know what that makes him, down here."
"It doesn't alter his manhood or character, or humanness. And from what I've seen of southern chivalry he overtops all of you. You men are chivalrous superficially. At heart you're just animal. I've had chance to think over some of the things I've seen down here lately and they don't compare very favorably with chivalry. Every woman is fair game to you men, whether she is black or white. It little becomes any of you to talk.
"Besides birth is a mere matter of accident. We can't help what we're born but we can improve on circumstances and environment. And I'm beginning to believe that there's as much nobility in one race as another, taken man for man."
"Well, you'll never marry Bennet. This country won't stand for that kind of a marriage," her brother predicted.
"No, it won't stand for that kind of a marriage. A marriage that is honorable, and clean, and noble, and Godlike, but it will stand for associations in the dark between white men and black women, where these associations are forced on poor defenceless women. It will stand for the rearing of two families, one white and the other black, so long as they're in adjoining counties," Lida fought back.
"That's true, and it's not always that the counties are different either." Both Lida and Elvin turned quickly to see the speaker. They looked into the eyes of Mrs. Gorton.
"Howdy, Mrs. Gorton," Lida greeted the woman. "Come up and join us. We were just having a brotherly spat."
"Yes, I heard your quarrelling and didn't want to spoil a good fight. You know the best fight I ever saw was a family affair. They're always the best and sometimes the most vicious. I don't know why nature made it so but there seems always antagonisms between brother and brother, and brother and sister. Sometimes they're bitter and last a lifetime. Sometimes again they're just temporary and, like all children, the fights are soon forgotten. But that's right about these men and their didoes. I've had the experience, I know.
"But I didn't come here to settle or to join any fussing. I came here to find out what all this excitement's about—this running around over the country looking for a white man and calling him a black man."
"But he is black, Mrs. Gorton," maintained Elvin. "He is black."
"G'long with you. Didn't I have him at my house? Didn't he save me from a 'gator in the road 'tother day? If he's black then you're black. But what's he done, that you should run him off in the night and go hunting him in the daytime?" She looked from Lida to Elvin and back to Lida again.
"He wanted to marry Lida," Elvin blurted out. "Fancy a man with black blood wanting to marry my sister."
"He's as good as you," defended Lida hotly, "and a lot better."
"I don't give a hooting hang, he won't marry you. I'll see you both dead first." Then turning to Mrs. Gorton. "Mrs. Gorton, tell her how preposterous the thing is. My father is already losing his mind over the affair."
"Park losing his mind? Park losing his mind? Not over that. He's got better sense. He's got a lot of pride but his family is cursed. I told him so last year. I tell you so now. What right's he got to lose his mind over Lida's marrying the man she wants? What difference does it make if there is black blood in his veins. Most likely there's some black blood in the veins of all of us. Perhaps there's some in mine. I know there's some in Park's and therefore there's some in yours, Elvin, and some in yours too, Lide. Go on, marry your man, if he's good. Don't mind these airs."
Elvin reeled as from a blow at the news the woman imparted. For a few seconds he was dazed. His eyes went wide. He looked at his hands, studied his fingers, the bony, hair-covered, vein-bursting back of his hands, in a long silence. His intakes of breath were deep and spasmodic. To Lida the news was appalling also. It likewise took her breath. But she soon recovered and there filled her heart a happiness that almost forced her to scream. Before she could speak, Elvin recovered himself and spoke.
"Woman, you lie. You came here last year to taunt my father when he kicked you off his place. You come again to taunt him. If you were a man I'd kill you. I'd make you eat those words."
"You might kill me," Mrs. Gorton hurled back, "but you can't make me eat true words for the records will tell. You go to the Courthouse and look over the old records. You'll see where, in one branch of the family way back, one member married a half breed slave woman, ran away with her, and raised a family, perfectly respectable. An offshoot of that family came back years after to claim his part of the estate and married into the Lauriston line. Out of that union came Park's father and out of that union came you, Elvin and Lida. Put that in your pipe. Go see the records and believe."
Elvin wheeled, with an oath on his lips and went into the house.
Mrs. Gorton continued: "Now if you've murdered that boy and made off with his body I'll have the law on you all, Such a good manly boy. Much like my Ben. If you all have murdered that boy I'll hound you to jail."
Despite her former dislike for the woman, Lida could have hugged her for her interest in Bennet, and her disclosure. It relieved her of any reason for listening to the pleadings of her family. They were all of one blood. She cared not for prestige of name such as the Lauristons had borne.
The statement of fact by Mrs. Gorton caused no change in her. She was tempted to take the old woman into her confidence and tell her that Bennet was safe but wisely held her counsel. As the old woman departed muttering threats against those who had made off with Bennet, and vowing vengeance, Lida rushed to her room where she gave vent to her feelings of joyousness. Once alone she danced like a girl gone mad, intermittently laughing and singing snatches of songs. She decided she must tell Bennet immediately. Scarcely could she control herself. With her desire to give Bennet the news she could with difficulty wait till late afternoon as she had promised.
As she pondered over the new turn in her affairs she heard her brother raging in his room. Suddenly she heard his door open and shut with a loud slam while he strode down the stairs and out to the stables. A short while later she heard him ride away. She gave him no further thought for the moment, realizing that Truman was safe. She remained in her room for a time lest her brother return. When he did not after an hour, she made preparations for going to Bennet.
The sky had now become overcast. "Oh, Dear!" she mused. "It looks like rain and I fear our plans will be spoiled for tonight. Still she hurried toward the cave. Once there she peered behind the sheen of water to see Bennet watching her approach. When she had climbed to the cave Bennet extended a hand to help her in. She was all smiles and gaiety while Bennet's face was clouded. Before she had time to recover her breath he said:
"I've been thinking since you've been gone and have decided that I must leave you."
"Why leave me, when I've such good news for you?"
"Don't jest, Lida, Heart. This is not a matter for jesting," Bennet said seriously.
"All right, Old Grouch. I'll keep my good news, then," she pouted. "Just when I'm dying to tell you, too."
"Well," he capitulated. "What's this great and good news?"
"Guess," she teased, coming to where he was sitting and placing a hand confidingly on his shoulder.
"I give up.—Couldn't guess in a thousand years," he admitted.
Lida waited for a few moments hoping he would make an attempt. When he continued to refuse she started: "Mrs. Gorton's been to the house this afternoon."
Bennet perked up at the information. "I thought you were enemies," he observed.
"She's worried about you." She stroked his head as she spoke. "She came to inquire of Elvin, what had become of you and to threaten to make it hot for him and the rest of them if they have done away with you. You've won her favor, all right. I've a mind to be jealous—but I won't, just for that," she teased.
"She's a nice old lady," Bennet commented.
"That isn't the best news, though," continued Lida. "She gave me news today that makes me happier than I've ever been."
"Ever?" he questioned as he placed a hand on hers resting on his shoulder. Both were looking out through the sheet of water pouring down in front of them.
"Yes, ever," Lida continued. "She bent over till her lips nearly touched his ear as she whispered, "She told me there was colored blood in our family too."
Bennet turned slowly to look at her, doubt showing in his face as lie realized the import of her words. "There's colored blood in our family—in me too.—And I'm glad—proud of it." At this announcement she kissed his cheek tenderly. "And that's not all," she added. "There's some of that blood in many of the families about here.—Elvin is raging."
"That can't be so," Bennet doubted.
"Truly," Lida answered soberly. "She said the records are at the courthouse and would prove it."
"Many a family will be shocked to learn the news," Bennet commented drily.
Lida then recounted the events at the house, with her quarrel with Elvin, and of the appearance of Mrs. Gorton while they were in the midst. "And after she told us, as I was waiting for time to come to you, Elvin saddled his horse and rode away, bursting with madness," she concluded.
As she ended she looked out among the trees then exclaimed: "Oh, dear, it's raining."
Bennet came and stood beside her. "Too bad—too bad," was all he said.
"Now we can't get away tonight. It'll probably rain a couple of days."
"We can wait."
"You won't mind staying here?" she asked doubtfully.
"Of course not. You'll be visiting me, won't you?"
"Certainly, Goosie," she twitted. "I must be getting back now before it gets dark." In a few moments she was gone and Bennet was alone.