“Joyce is my loving wife,” said Simple, “and from her I hides only a few secrets. You know it is nice to have a nice wife. And, so far, Joyce treats all my relatives polite. When Joyce first met Cousin Minnie, newly come to our town from Virginia, to tell the truth I thought my wife might snob Minnie. But Joyce did not snob her. My wife is as nice to Cousin Minnie as if Minnie was cultured—which Minnie is not. In fact, as you know, Minnie drinks. But Minnie had sense enough to come to my house last night almost sober. But she come, as usual, with a purpose. The first thing Minnie said last night was ‘Jess, I been caught in the toils of the law.’

“I said, ‘Minnie, don’t toil me up in no law, because I will have nothing to do with what you been doing. What have you done?’

“‘Well,’ said Cousin Minnie, ‘I were caught in an after-hours spot when it got raided Saturday, and they took everybody down, including me.’

“‘What was a lady like you doing out so late in a speak-easy?’ I inquired.

“‘Ain’t you never been out late yourself?’ said Minnie.

“‘I admit I were.’

“‘And in an after-hours spot?’ asked Minnie.

“‘I have been in such,’ I said, ‘but I did not allow myself to get caught. Nobody has caught me in a speak-easy, except folks like me that was in there themselves, and they were not polices.’

“‘You been lucky,’ says Minnie. ‘I been caught two or three times in raids—twice in Virginia where they catch so many Negroes they let us all off easy. But up here in the North, I been remaindered for a hearing. And it is not prejudice, because that joint was integrated. There was white folks in the place, too, drinking, and they got remaindered also. Remaindered means I might have to pay a fine, and I has no money, which is why I turn to you, Jess, my only cousin in New York City.’

“‘I wish you was no relation to me,’ I says, ‘because I has no money, neither, and I hate to turn a relative down.’

“‘If you are just temporarily out of cash,’ says Minnie, ‘can’t you borrow some?’

“‘My credit is not good,’ I said. ‘And were I borrowing for myself, it would be hard. For you, that is another story. Minnie, I don’t hardly know you, even if you do be Uncle Willie’s child. We was not raised up together at no time!’

“As easy as I can, I says, ‘I has no money, never have had no money and if you looking to borrow what money I get, I never will have none. Do you not remember our Aunt Lucy who used to say, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be?” That was her motto. It is also mine.’