your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes.... 'Tain't Wife-ette Hinchbrooke. They hain't no sich name.
'Tain't human.... What's your real one?"

"Eva Hopkins."

"How'd you come to change?"

"A girl's got a right to call herself anything she wants to," she said,
defensively.

"Except Mrs. Homer Locker," said Scattergood, dryly. "Now jest come
off'n your high boss, and we'll talk. When we git through, we'll
_do_.... Either you'll take the mornin' train out of Coldriver, or
you'll stay and well see. Depends on what I hear."

"I could lie," she said.

"Folks don't gen'ally lie to _me_," said Scattergood, gently. "They
found out it didn't pay--and I hain't much give to believin' nothin' but
the truth. We deal in it a lot up this here way."

"I hate your people and their dealings."

"Don't wonder at it. I seen what they done to you to-night.... But you
don't know 'em like I do. They's times when they act cold and ha'sh and
nigh to cruel, but that hain't when they're real. Them times they're