The Sins of the Father: A Romance of the South

by Thomas Dixon

  CHAPTER X

  THE BEST LAID PLANS

  Andy's plans for a speedy conquest of Cleo were destined to aninterruption. Minerva had decided that he was the best man in sight for ahusband, and made up her mind to claim her own. She had noticed of late adisposition on his part to dally with Cleo, and determined to actimmediately. Breakfast was well under way and she had heard Andy's unctouslaugh in the library with Tom.

  She put on her sweeping apron, took up a broom and entered under thepretense of cleaning the room.

  Andy was still chuckling with joy over the brilliant plan of escapesuggested by Tom. He had just put the finishing touches on his necktie, andwas trying on an old silk hat when Minerva's voice caused him to suddenlycollapse.

  "Say, man, is dat a hat er a bee-gum?" she cried, with a laugh so jolly itwould have been contagious but for Andy's terror.

  He looked at her, dropped the hat, picked it up and stammered:

  "W-w-why--Miss Minerva, is dat you?"

  Minerva beamed on him tenderly, placed her broom in the corner and advancedquickly to meet him:

  "I knowed ye wuz 'spectin me frum de way yer wuz gettin' ready." Shelaughed and chuckled with obvious coquetry, adding coyly:

  "I knows how yer feel----"

  Andy looked for a way of escape. But Minerva was too quick for him. She wasa woman of enormous size, fat, jolly and extremely agile for her weight.She carried her two hundred and fifty pounds without apparent effort. Shewalked with a nervous, snappy energy and could waltz with the grace of agirl of sixteen.

  She had reached Andy's side before his dull brain could think of an excusefor going. Her shining coal-black face was aglow with tenderness and thedetermination to make things easy for him in the declaration of love shehad planned that he should make.

  "I know how yer feels, Brer Andy," she repeated.

  The victim mopped his perspiring brow and stammered:

  "Yassam--yassam."

  "Yer needn't be so 'barrassed, Mr. Andy," Minerva went on in the mostinsinuating tones. "Yer kin say what's on yer mind."

  "Yassam."

  "Come right here and set down er minute."

  She seized his hand and drew him with a kittenish skip toward a settee,tripped on a bear rug and would have fallen had not Andy grabbed her.

  "De Lord save us!" he gasped. He was trying desperately in his new suit toplay the gentleman under difficulties.

  Minerva was in ecstasy over his gallantry:

  "Yer sho wuz terrified less I git hurt, Mr. Andy," she laughed. "I thoughtdat bar had me sho."

  Andy mopped his brow again and glanced longingly at the door:

  "Yassam, I sho wuz terrified--I'm sorry m'am, you'll hatter 'scuse me.Mister Tom's out dar waitin' fer me, an' I hatter go----"

  Minerva smilingly but firmly pulled him down on the seat beside her:

  "Set right down, Mr. Andy, an' make yoself at home. We got er whole halfhour yet 'fore de odder folks come down stairs. Man, don't be so'barrassed! I knows 'zactly how yer feels. I understand what's de matterwid yer"--she paused, glanced at him out of the corners of her eye, touchedhim slyly with her elbow, and whispered:

  "Why don't yer say what's on yer mind?"

  Andy cleared his throat and began to stammer. He had the habit ofstammering under excitement, and Tom's plan of escape had just popped intohis benumbed brain. He saw the way out:

  "Y-y-yas'm--cose, m'am. I got sumfin ter tell ye, Miss M-m-Minerva."

  Minerva moved a little closer.

  "Yas, honey, I knows what 'tis, but I'se jes' waitin' ter hear it."

  He cleared his throat and tried to begin his speech in a friendlybusiness-like way:

  "Yassam, I gwine tell yer sho----"

  He turned to face her and to his horror found her lips so close she hadevidently placed them in position for the first kiss.

  He stopped appalled, fidgeted, looked the other way and stammered:

  "H-hit sho is powful warm ter-day, m'am!"

  "Tain't so much de heat, Brer Andy," she responded tenderly, "as 'tis dehumility dat's in de air!"

  Andy turned, looked into her smiling face for a moment and they both brokeinto a loud laugh while he repeated:

  "Yassam, de humility--dat's hit! De humility dat's in de air!"

  The expression had caught his fancy enormously.

  "Yassir, de humility--dat's hit!" Minerva murmured.

  When the laughter had slowly died down she moved a little closer and saidreassuringly:

  "And now, Brer Andy, ez dey's des you an' me here tergedder--ef hits suitsyo' circumstantial convenience, hab no reprehenshun, sah, des say what's onyo' min'."

  Andy glanced at her quickly, bowed grandiloquently and catching the spiritof her high-flown language decided to spring his confession and ask herhelp to win Cleo.

  "Yassam, Miss Minerva, dat's so. An' ez I allays sez dat honesty is de bes'policy, I'se gwine ter re-cede ter yo' invitation!"

  Minerva laughed with joyous admiration:

  "Des listen at dat nigger now! You sho is er talkin' man when yer gitsstarted----"

  "Yassam, I bin er tryin' ter tell ye fer de longest kind er time an' ax yeter help me----"

  Minerva moved her massive figure close against him:

  "Cose I help you."

  Andy edged as far away as possible, but the arm of the settee had caughthim and he couldn't get far. He smiled wanly and tried to assume a purelyplatonic tone:

  "Wuz yer ebber in love, Miss Minerva?"

  Minerva nudged him slyly:

  "Wuz I?"

  Andy tried to ignore the hint, lifted his eyes to the ceiling and infar-away tones put the hypothetical case of the friend who needed help:

  "Well, des 'spose m'am dat a po' man wuz ter fall in love wid er beautifullady, fur above him, wid eyes dat shine lak de stars----"

  "Oh, g'way frum here, man!" Minerva cried entranced as she broke into apeal of joyous laughter, nudging him again.

  The insinuating touch of her elbow brought Andy to a sharp realization thathis plan had not only failed to work, but was about to compromise himbeyond hope. He hurried to correct her mistake.

  "But listen, Miss Minerva--yer don't understand. Would yer be his friendan' help him to win her?"

  With a cry of joy she threw her huge arms around his neck:

  "Would I--Lordy--man!"

  Andy tried to dodge her strangle hold, but was too slow and she had him.

  He struggled and grasped her arms, but she laughed and held on.

  "B-b-but--yer--yer," he stammered.

  "Yer needn't say annudder word----"

  "Yassam, but wait des er minute," he pleaded, struggling to lower her arms.

  "Hush, man," Minerva said good-naturedly. "Cose I knows yer bin er badnigger--but ye needn't tell me 'bout it now----"

  "For Gawd's sake!" Andy gasped, wrenching her arms away at last, "will yerdes lemme say one word?"

  "Nasah!" she said generously. "I ain't gwine ter let ye say no harsh wordsergin yoself. I sho do admire de indelicate way dat yer tells me of yo'love!"

  "B-but yer don't understand----"

  "Cose I does, chile!" Minerva exclaimed with a tender smile.

  Andy made a gesture of despair:

  "B-b-but I tries ter 'splain----"

  "Yer don't hatter 'splain nuttin' ter me, man--I ain't no spring chicken--Iknowed what ye means befo' ye opens yer mouf. Yer tells me dat ye lubs mean' I done say dat I lubs you--an' dat's all dey is to it."

  Minerva enfolded him in her ample arms and he collapsed with feeble assent:

  "Yassam--yassam."