Short Stories for English Courses

V >> Various (Rosa M. R. Mikels ed.) >> Short Stories for English Courses

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"Well, about a fortnight or sich a matter arfter dat, Cun'l
Chahmb'lin sont over an' invited all o' we all over to dinner, an'
Marse Chan wuz 'spressly named in de note whar Ned brought; an'
arfter dinner he made ole Phil, whar wuz his ker'ige-driver, bring
'roun' Marse Chan's pony wid a little side-saddle on 'im, an' a
beautiful little hoss wid a bran'-new saddle an' bridle on 'im;
an' he gits up an' meks Marse Chan a gre't speech, an' presents
'im de little hoss; an' den he calls Miss Anne, an' she comes out
on de poach in a little ridin' frock, an' dey puts her on her
pony, an' Marse Chan mounts his hoss, an' dey goes to ride, while
de grown folks is a-laughin' an' chattin' an' smokin' dey cigars.

"Dem wuz good ole times, marster-de bes' Sam ever see! Dey wuz, in
fac'! Niggers didn' hed nothin' 't all to do-jes' hed to 'ten' to
de feedin' an' cleanin' de hosses, an' doin' what de marster tell
'em to do; an' when dey wuz sick, dey had things sont 'em out de
house, an' de same doctor come to see 'em whar 'ten' to de white
folks when dey wuz po'ly. Dyar warn' no trouble nor nothin'.

"Well, things tuk a change arfter dat. Marse Chan he went to de
bo'din' school, whar he use' to write to me constant. Ole missis
use' to read me de letters, an' den I'd git Miss Anne to read 'em
ag'in to me when I'd see her. He use' to write to her too, an' she
use' to write to him too. Den Miss Anne she wuz sont off to school
too. An' in de summer time dey'd bofe come home, an' yo' hardly
knowed whether Marse Chan lived at home or over at Cun'l
Chahmb'lin's. He wuz over dyah constant. 'Twuz always ridin' or
fishin' down dyah in de river; or sometimes he' go over dyah, an'
'im an' she'd go out an' set in de yard onder de trees; she
settin' up mekin' out she wuz knittin' some sort o' bright-
cullored some'n', wid de grarss growin' all up 'g'inst her, an'
her" hat th'owed back on her neck, an' he readin' to her out
books; an' sometimes dey'd bofe read out de same book, fust one
an' den todder. I use' to see 'em! Dat wuz when dey wuz growin' up
like.

"Den ole marster he run for Congress, an' ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin he
wuz put up to run 'g'inst ole marster by de Dimicrats; but ole
marster he beat 'im. Yo' know he wuz gwine do dat! Co'se he wuz!
Dat made ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin mighty mad, and dey stopt visitin'
each urr reg'lar, like dey had been doin' all 'long. Den Cun'l
Chahmb'lin he sort o' got in debt, an' sell some o' he niggers,
an' dat's de way de fuss begun. Dat's whar de lawsuit cum from.
Ole marster he didn' like nobody to sell niggers, an' knowin' dat
Cun'l Chahmb'lin wuz sellin' o' his, he writ an' offered to buy
his M'ria an' all her chil'en, 'cause she hed married our
Zeek'yel. An' don' yo' think, Cun'l Chahmb'lin axed ole marster
mo' 'n th'ee niggers wuz wuth fur M'ria! Befo' old marster bought
her, dough, de sheriff cum an' levelled on M'ria an' a whole
parecel o' urr niggers. Ole marster he went to de sale, an' bid
for 'em-r but Cun'l Chahmb'lin he got some one to bid 'g'inst ole
marster. Dey wuz knocked out to ole marster dough, an' den dey hed
a big lawsuit, an' ole marster wuz agwine to co't, off an' on, fur
some years, till at lars' de co't decided dat M'ria belonged to
ole marster. Ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin den wuz so mad he sued ole
marster for a little strip o' lan' down dyah on de line fence,
whar he said belonged to 'im. Ev'ybody knowed hit belonged to ole
marster. Ef yo' go down dyah now, I kin show it to yo', inside de
line fence, whar it hed done bin ever sence long befo' Cun'l
Chahmb'lin wuz born. But Cun'l Chahmb'lin wuz a mons'us
perseverin' man, an' ole marster he wouldn' let nobody run over
'im. No, dat he wouldn'! So dey wuz agwine down to co't about dat,
fur I don' know how long, till ole marster beat 'im.

"All dis time, yo' know, Marse Chan wuz agoin' back'ads an'
for'ads to college, an' wuz growed up a ve'y fine young man. He
wuz a ve'y likely gent'man! Miss Anne she hed done mos' growed up
too--wuz puttin' her hyar up like old missis use' to put hers up,
an' 'twuz jes' ez bright ez de sorrel's mane when de sun cotch on
it, an' her eyes wuz gre't big dark eyes, like her pa's, on'y
bigger an' not so fierce, an' 'twarn' none o' de young ladies ez
purty ez she wuz. She an' Marse Chan still set a heap o' sto' by
one 'nurr, but I don' think dey wuz easy wid each urr ez when he
used to tote her home from school on his back. Marse Chan he use'
to love de ve'y groun' she walked on, dough, in my 'pinion. Heh!
His face 'twould light up whenever she come into chu'ch, or
anywhere, jes' like de sun hed come th'oo a chink on it suddenly.

"Den' ole marster lost he eyes. D' yo' ever heah 'bout dat? Heish!
Didn' yo'? Well, one night de big barn cotch fire. De stables, yo'
know, wuz under de big barn, an' all de bosses wuz in dyah. Hit
'peared to me like 'twarn' no time befo' all de folks an' de
neighbors dey come, an' dey wuz a-totin' water, an' a-tryin' to
save de po' critters, and dey got a heap on 'em out; but de
ker'ige-hosses dey wouldn' come out, an' dey wuz a-runnin'
back'ads an' for'ads inside de stalls, a-nikerin' an' a-screamin',
like dey knowed dey time hed come. Yo' could heah 'em so pitiful,
an' pres'n'y old marster said to Ham Fisher (he wuz de ker'ige-
driver), 'Go in dyah an' try to save 'em; don' let 'em bu'n to
death.' An' Ham he went right in. An' jest arfter he got in, de
shed whar it hed fus' cotch fell in, an' de sparks shot 'way up in
de air; an' Ham didn' come back, an' de fire begun to lick out
under de eaves over whar de ker'ige-hosses' stalls wuz, an' all of
a sudden ole marster tu'ned an' kissed ole missis, who wuz
standin' nigh him, wid her face jes' ez white ez a sperit's, an',
befo' anybody knowed what he wuz gwine do, jumped right in de do',
an' de smoke come po'in' out behine 'im. Well, seh, I nuver
'spects to heah tell Judgment sich a soun' ez de folks set up! Ole
missis she jes' drapt down on her knees in de mud an' prayed out
loud. Hit 'peared like her pra'r wuz heard; for in a minit, right
out de same do', kyarin' Ham Fisher in his arms, come ole marster,
wid his clo's all blazin'. Dey flung water on 'im, an' put 'im
out; an', ef you b'lieve me, yo' wouldn't a-knowed 'twuz ole
marster. Yo' see, he had find Ham Fisher done fall down in de
smoke right by the ker'ige-hoss' stalls, whar he sont him, an' he
hed to tote 'im back in his arms th'oo de fire what hed done cotch
de front part o' de stable, and to keep de flame from gittin' down
Ham Fisher's th'oat he hed tuk off his own hat and mashed it all
over Ham Fisher's face, an' he hed kep' Ham Fisher from bein' so
much bu'nt; but HE wuz bu'nt dreadful! His beard an' hyar wuz all
nyawed off, an' his face an' han's an' neck wuz scorified
terrible. Well, he jes' laid Ham Fisher down, an' then he kind o'
staggered for'ad, an' ole missis ketch' 'im in her arms. Ham
Fisher, he warn' bu'nt so bad, an' he got out in a month to two;
an' arfter a long time, ole marster he got well, too; but he wuz
always stone blind arfter that. He nuver could see none from dat
night.

"Marse Chan he comed home from college toreckly, an' he sut'n'y
did nuss ole marster faithful--jes' like a 'ooman. Den he took
charge of de plantation arfter dat; an' I use' to wait on 'im jes'
like when we wuz boys togedder; an' sometimes we'd slip off an'
have a fox-hunt, an' he'd be jes' like he wuz in ole times, befo'
ole marster got bline, an' Miss Anne Chahmb'lin stopt comin' over
to our house, an' settin' onder de trees, readin' out de same
book.

"He sut'n'y wuz good to me. Nothin' nuver made no diffunce 'bout
dat. He nuver hit me a lick in his life--an' nuver let nobody else
do it, nurr.

"I 'members one day, when he wuz a leetle bit o' boy, ole marster
hed done tole we all chil'en not to slide on de straw-stacks; an'
one day me an' Marse Chan thought ole marster hed done gone 'way
from home. We watched him git on he hoss an' ride up de road out
o' sight, an' we wuz out in de field a-slidin' an' a-slidin', when
up comes ole marster. We started to run; but he hed done see us,
an' he called us to come back; an' sich a whuppin' ez he did gi'
us!

"Fust he took Marse Chan, an' den he teched me up. He nuver hu't
me, but in co'se I wuz a-hollerin' ez hard ez I could stave it,
'cause I knowed dat wuz gwine mek him stop. Marse Chan he hed'n
open he mouf long ez ole marster wuz tunin' 'im; but soon ez he
commence warmin' me an' I begin to holler, Marse Chan he bu'st out
cryin', an' stept right in befo' ole marster an' ketchin' de whup,
sed:

"'Stop, seh! Yo' sha'n't whup 'im; he b'longs to me, an' ef you
hit 'im another lick I'll set 'im free!'

"I wish yo' hed see old marster. Marse Chan he warn' mo'n eight
years ole, an' dyah dey wuz-old marster stan'in' wid he whup
raised up, an' Marse Chan red an' cryin', hol'in' on to it, an'
sayin' I b'longst to 'im.

"Ole marster, he raise' de whup, an' den he drapt it, an' broke
out in a smile over he face, an' he chuck' Marse Chan onder de
chin, an' tu'n right 'roun' an' went away, laughin' to hisse'f,
an' I heah 'im tellin' ole missis dat evenin', an' laughin' 'bout
it.

"'Twan' so mighty long arfter dat when dey fust got to talkin'
'bout de war. Dey wuz a-dictatin' back'ads an' for'ads 'bout it
fur two or th'ee years 'fo' it come sho' nuff, you know. Ole
marster, he was a Whig, an' of co'se Marse Chan he tuk after he
pa. Cun'l Chahmb'lin, he wuz a Dimicrat. He wuz in favor of de
war, an' ole marster and Marse Chan dey wuz agin' it. Dey wuz a-
talkin' 'bout it all de time, an' purty soon Cun'l Chahmb'lin he
went about ev'ywhar speakin' an' noratin' 'bout Firginia ought to
secede; an' Marse Chan he wuz picked up to talk agin' 'im. Dat wuz
de way dey come to fight de duil. I sut'n'y wuz skeered fur Marse
Chan dat mawnin', an' he was jes' ez cool! Yo' see, it happen so:
Marse Chan he wuz a-speakin' down at de Deep Creek Tavern, an' he
kind o' got de bes' of ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin. All de white folks
laughed an' hoorawed, an' ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin--my Lawd! I fought
he'd 'a' bu'st, he was so mad. Well, when it come to his time to
speak, he jes' light into Marse Chan. He call 'im a traitor, an' a
ab'litionis', an' I don' know what all. Marse Chan, he jes' kep'
cool till de ole Cun'l light into he pa. Ez soon ez he name ole
marster, I seen Marse Chan sort o' lif' up he head. D' yo' ever
see a hoss rar he head up right sudden at night when he see
somethin' comin' to'ds 'im from de side an' he don' know what 'tis?
Ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin he went right on. He said ole marster hed
taught Marse Chan; dat ole marster wuz a wuss ab'litionis' dan he
son. I looked at Marse Chan, an' sez to myse'f: 'Fo' Gord! old
Cun'l Chahmb'lin better min', an' I hedn' got de wuds out, when
ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin 'cuse' old marster o' cheatin' 'im out o' he
niggers, an' stealing piece o' he lan'--dat's de lan' I tole you
'bout. Well, seh, nex' thing I knowed, I heahed Marse Chan--hit
all happen right 'long togerr, like lightnin' and thunder when
they hit right at you--I heah 'im say:

"'Cun'l Chahmb'lin, what you say is false, an' yo' know it to be
so. You have wilfully slandered one of de pures' an' nobles' men
Gord ever made, an' nothin' but yo' gray hyars protects you.'

"Well, ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin, he ra'd an' he pitch'd. He said he
wan' too ole, an' he'd show 'im so.

"'Ve'y well,' says Marse Chan.

"De meetin' broke up den. I wuz hol'in' de hosses out dyar in de
road by dee een' o' de poach, an' I see Marse Chan talkin' an'
talkin' to Mr. Gordon an' anudder gent'man, and den he come out
an' got on de sorrel an' galloped off. Soon ez he got out o' sight
he pulled up, an' we walked along tell we come to de road whar
leads off to'ds Mr. Barbour's. He wuz de big lawyer o' de country.
Dar he tu'ned off. All dis time he hedn' sed a wud, 'cep' to kind
o' mumble to hisse'f now and den. When we got to Mr. Barbour's, he
got down an' went in. Dat wuz in de late winter; de folks wuz jes'
beginnin' to plough fur corn. He stayed dyar 'bout two hours, an'
when he come out Mr. Barbour come out to de gate wid 'im an' shake
han's arfter he got up in de saddle. Den we all rode off. 'Twuz
late den-good dark; an' we rid ez hard ez we could, tell we come
to de ole school-house at ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin's gate. When we got
dar, Marse Chan got down an' walked right slow 'roun' de house.
After lookin' 'roun' a little while an' tryin' de do' to see ef it
wuz shet, he walked down de road tell he got to de creek. He stop'
dyar a little while an' picked up two or three little rocks an'
frowed 'em in, an' pres'n'y he got up an' we come on home. Ez he
got down, he tu'ned to me an', rubbin' de sorrel's nose, said:
'Have 'em well fed, Sam; I'll want 'em early in de mawnin'.'

"Dat night at supper he laugh an' talk, an' he set at de table a
long time. Arfter ole marster went to bed, he went in de charmber
an' set on de bed by 'im talkin' to 'im an' tellin' 'im 'bout de
meetin' an' ev'ything; but he nuver mention ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin's
name. When he got up to come out to de office in de yard, whar he
slept, he stooped down an' kissed 'im jes' like he wuz a baby
layin' dyar in de bed, an' he'd hardly let ole missis go at all. I
knowed some'n wuz up, an' nex' mawnin' I called 'im early befo'
light, like he tole me, an' he dressed an' come out pres'n'y jes'
like he wuz goin' to church. I had de hosses ready, an' we went
out de back way to'ds de river. Ez we rode along, he said:

"'Sam, you an' I wuz boys togedder, wa'n't we?'

"'Yes,' sez I, 'Marse Chan, dat we wuz.'

"'You have been we'y faithful to me,' sez he, 'an' I have seen to
it that you are well provided fur. You want to marry Judy, I know,
an' you'll be able to buy her ef you want to.'

"Den he tole me he wuz goin' to fight a duil, an' in case he
should git shot, he had set me free an' giv' me nuif to tek keer
o' me an' my wife ez long ez we lived. He said he'd like me to
stay an' tek keer o' ole marster an' ole missis ez long ez dey
lived, an' he said it wouldn' be very long, he reckoned. Dat wuz
de on'y time he voice broke when he said dat; an' I couldn' speak
a wud, my th'oat choked me so.

"When we come to de river, we tu'ned right up de bank, an' arfter
ridin' 'bout a mile or sich a matter, we stopped whar dey wuz a
little clearin' wid elder bushes on one side an' two big gum-trees
on de urr, an' de sky wuz all red, an' de water down to'ds whar
the sun wuz comin' wuz jes' like de sky.

"Pres'n'y Mr. Gordon he come, wid a 'hogany box 'bout so big 'fore
'im, an' he got down, an' Marse Chan tole me to tek all de hosses
an' go 'roun' behine de bushes whar I tell you 'bout-off to one
side; an' 'fore I got 'roun' dar, ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin an' Mr.
Hennin an' Dr. Call come ridin' from t'urr way, to'ds ole Cun'l
Chahmb'lin's. When dey hed tied dey hosses, de urr gent'mens went
up to whar Mr. Gordon wuz, an' arfter some chattin' Mr. Hennin
step' off 'bout fur ez 'cross dis road, or mebbe it mout be a
little furder; an' den I seed 'em th'oo de bushes loadin' de
pistils, an' talk a little while; an' den Marse Chan an' ole Cun'l
Chahmb'lin walked up wid de pistils in dey han's, an' Marse Chan
he stood wid his face right to'ds de sun. I seen it shine on him
jes' ez it come up over de low groun's, an' he look like he did
sometimes when he come out of church. I wuz so skeered I couldn'
say nothin'. Ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin could shoot fust rate, an' Marse
Chan he never missed.

"Den I beared Mr. Gordon say, 'Gent'mens, is yo' ready?' and bofe
of 'em sez, 'Ready,' jes' so.

"An' he sez, 'Fire, one, two'--an' ez he said 'one,' old Cun'l
Chahmb'lin raised he pistil an' shot right at Marse Chan. De ball
went th'oo his hat. I seen he hat sort o' settle on he head ez de
bullit hit it, an' HE jes' tilted his pistil up in de a'r an'
shot-BANG; an' ez de pistil went BANG, he sez to Cun'l Chahmb'lin,
'I mek you a present to yo' fam'ly, seh!'

"Well, dey had some talkin' arfter dat. I didn't git rightly what
it wuz; but it 'peared like Cun'l Chahmb'lin he warn't satisfied,
an' wanted to have anurr shot. De seconds dey wuz talkin', an'
pres'n'y dey put de pistils up, an' Marse Chan an' Mr. Gordon
shook han's wid Mr. Hennin an' Dr. Call, an' come an' got on dey
hosses. An' Cun'l Chahmb'lin he got on his hoss an' rode away wid
de urr gent'mens, lookin' like he did de day befo' when all de
people laughed at 'im.

"I b'lieve ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin wan' to shoot Marse Chan, anyway!

"We come on home to breakfast, I totin' de box wid de pistils
befo' me on de roan. Would you b'lieve me, seh, Marse Chan he
nuver said a wud 'bout it to ole marster or nobody. Ole missis
didn' fin' out 'bout it for mo'n a month, an' den, Lawd! how she
did cry and kiss Marse Chan; an' ole marster, aldo' he never say
much, he wuz jes' ez please' ez ole missis. He call me in de room
an' made me tole 'im all 'bout it, an' when I got th'oo he gi' me
five dollars an' a pyar of breeches.

"But ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin he nuver did furgive Marse Chan, an'
Miss Anne she got mad too. Wimmens is mons'us onreasonable nohow.
Dey's jes' like a catfish: you can n' tek hole on 'em like udder
folks, an' when you gits 'im yo' can n' always hole 'em.

"What meks me think so? Heaps o' things--dis: Marse Chan he done
gi' Miss Anne her pa jes' ez good ez I gi' Marse Chan's dawg sweet
'taters, an' she git mad wid 'im ez if he hed kill 'im 'stid o'
sen'in' 'im back to her dat mawnin' whole an' soun'. B'lieve me!
she wouldn' even speak to him arfter dat!

"Don' I 'member dat mawnin'!

"We wuz gwine fox-huntin', 'bout six weeks or sich a matter arfter
de dull, an' we met Miss Anne ridin' 'long wid anurr lady an' two
gent'mens whar wuz stayin' at her house. Dyar wuz always some one
or nurr dyar co'ting her. Well, dat mawnin' we meet 'em right in
de road. 'Twuz de fust time Marse Chan had see her sence de duil,
an' he raises he hat ez he pahss, an' she looks right at 'im wid
her head up in de yair like she nuver see 'im befo' in her born
days; an' when she comes by me, she sez, 'Good-mawnin', Sam!'
Gord! I nuver see nuthin' like de look dat come on Marse Chan's
face when she pahss 'im like dat. He gi' de sorrel a pull dat
fotch 'im back settin' down in de san' on he hanches. He ve'y lips
wuz white. I tried to keep up wid 'im, but 'twarn' no use. He sont
me back home pres'n'y, an' he rid on. I sez to myself, 'Cun'l
Chahmb'lin, don' yo' meet Marse Chan dis mawnin'. He ain' bin
lookin' 'roun' de ole schoolhouse, whar he an' Miss Anne use' to
go to school to ole Mr. Hall together, fur nuffin'. He won' stan'
no prodjickin' to-day.'

"He nuver come home dat night tell 'way late, an' ef he'd been
fox-huntin' it mus' ha' been de ole red whar lives down in de
greenscum mashes he'd been chasin'. De way de sorrel wuz gormed up
wid sweat an' mire sut'n'y did hu't me. He walked up to de stable
wid he head down all de way, an' I'se seen 'im go eighty miles of
a winter day, an' prance into de stable at night ez fresh ez if he
hed jes' cantered over to ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin's to supper. I
nuver seen a hoss beat so sence I knowed de fetlock from de
fo'lock, an' bad ez he wuz he wan' ez bad ez Marse Chan.

"Whew! he didn' git over dat thing, seh--he nuver did git over
it.

"De war come on jes' den, an' Marse Chan wuz elected cap'n; but he
wouldn' tek it. He said Firginia hadn' seceded, an' he wuz gwine
stan' by her. Den dey 'lected Mr. Gordon cap'n.

"I sut'n'y did wan' Marse Chan to tek de place, cuz I knowed he
wuz gwine tek me wid 'im. He wan' gwine widout Sam. An' beside, he
look so po' an' thin, I thought he wuz gwine die.

"Of co'se, ole missis she heared 'bout it, an' she met Miss Anne
in de road, an' cut her jes' like Miss Anne cut Marse Chan.

"Ole missis, she wuz proud ez anybody! So we wuz mo' strangers dan
ef we hadn' live' in a hundred miles of each urr. An' Marse Chan
he wuz gittin' thinner an' thinner, an' Firginia she come out, an'
den Marse Chan he went to Richmond an' listed, an' come back an'
sey he wuz a private, an' he didn' know whe'r he could tek me or
not. He writ to Mr. Gordon, hows'ever, an' 'twuz 'cided dat when
he went I wuz to go 'long an' wait on him an' de cap'n too. I
didn' min' dat, yo' know, long ez I could go wid Marse Chan, an' I
like' Mr. Gordon, anyways.

"Well, one night Marse Chan come back from de offis wid a telegram
dat say, 'Come at once,' so he wuz to start nex' mawnin'. He
uniform wuz all ready, gray wid yaller trimmin's, an' mine wuz
ready too, an' he had ole marster's sword, whar de State gi' 'im
in de Mexikin war; an' he trunks wuz all packed wid ev'rything in
'em, an' my chist was packed too, an' Jim Rasher he druv 'em over
to de depo' in de waggin, an' we wuz to start nex' mawnin' 'bout
light. Dis wuz 'bout de las' o' spring, you know. Dat night ole
missis made Marse Chan dress up in he uniform, an' he sut'n'y did
look splendid, wid he long mustache an' he wavin' hyar an' he tall
figger.

"Arfter supper he come down an' sez: 'Sam, I wan' you to tek dis
note an' kyar it over to Cun'l Chahmb'lin's, an' gi' it to Miss
Anne wid yo' own han's, an' bring me wud what she sez. Don' let
any one know 'bout it, or know why you've gone.' 'Yes, seh,' sez
I.

"Yo' see, I knowed Miss Anne's maid over at ole Cun'l
Chahmb'lin's--dat wuz Judy whar is my wife now--an' I knowed I
could wuk it. So I tuk de roan an' rid over, an' tied 'im down de
hill in de cedars, an' I wen' 'roun' to de back yard. 'Twuz a
right blowy sort o' night; de moon wuz jes' risin', but de clouds
wuz so big it didn' shine 'cep' th'oo a crack now an' den. I soon
foun' my gal, an' arfter tellin' her two or three lies 'bout
herse'f, I got her to go in an' ax Miss Anne to come to de do'.
When she come, I gi' her de note, an' arfter a little while she
bro't me anurr, an' I tole her good-bye, an' she gi' me a dollar,
an' I come home an' gi' de letter to Marse Chan. He read it, an'
tole me to have de hosses ready at twenty minits to twelve at de
corner of de garden. An' jes' befo' dat he come out ez ef he wuz
gwine to bed, but instid he come, an' we all struck out to'ds
Cun'l Chahmb'lin's. When we got mos' to de gate, de hosses got
sort o' skeered, an' I see dey wuz some'n or somebody standin'
jes' inside; an' Marse Chan he jumpt off de sorrel an' flung me de
bridle an' he walked up.

"She spoke fust ('twuz Miss Anne had done come out dyar to meet
Marse Chan), an' she sez, jes' ez cold ez a chill, 'Well, seh, I
granted your favor. I wished to relieve myse'f of de obligations
you placed me under a few months ago, when you made me a present
of my father, whom you fust insulted an' then prevented from
gittin' satisfaction.'

"Marse Chan he didn' speak fur a minit, an' den he said: 'Who is
with you?' Dat wuz ev'y wud.

"'No one,' sez she; 'I came alone.'

"'My God!' sez he, 'you didn' come all through those woods by
yourse'f at this time o' night?'

"'Yes, I'm not afraid,' sez she, (An' heah dis nigger! I don'
b'lieve she wuz.)

"De moon come out, an' I cotch sight o' her stan'in' dyar in her
white dress, wid de cloak she had wrapped herse'f up in drapped
off on de groun', an' she didn' look like she wuz 'feared o'
nuthin'. She wuz mons'us purty ez she stood dyar wid de green
bushes behine her, an' she hed jes' a few flowers in her breas'--
right hyah--and some leaves in her sorrel hyar; an' de moon come
out an' shined down on her hyar an' her frock an' 'peared like de
light wuz jes' stan'in' off it ez she stood dyar lookin' at Marse
Chan wid her head tho'd back, jes' like dat mawnin' when she pahss
Marse Chan in de road widout speakin' to 'im, an' sez to me,
'Good-mawnin', Sam.'

"Marse Chan, he den tole her he hed come to say good-bye to her,
ez he wuz gwine 'way to de war nex' mawnin'. I wuz watchin' on
her, an' I tho't, when Marse Chan tole her dat, she sort o'
started an' looked up at 'im like she wuz mighty sorry, an'
'peared like she didn' stan' quite so straight arfter dat. Den
Marse Chan he went on talkin' right fars' to her; an' he tole her
how he had loved her ever sence she wuz a little bit o' baby mos',
an' how he nuver 'membered de time when he hedn't 'spected to
marry her. He tole her it wuz his love for her dat hed made 'im
stan' fust at school an' collige, an' hed kep' 'im good an' pure;
an' now he wuz gwine 'way, wouldn't she let it be like 'twuz in
ole times, an' ef he come back from de war wouldn' she try to
think on him ez she use' to do when she wuz a little guirl?

"Marse Chan he had done been talkin' so serious, he hed done tuk
Miss Anne's han', an' wuz lookin' down in her face like he wuz
list'nin' wid his eyes.

"Arfter a minit Miss Anne she said somethin', an' Marse Chan he
cotch her urr han' an' sez:

"'But if you love me, Anne?'

"When he said dat, she tu'ned her head 'way from 'im, an' wait' a
minit, an' den she said--right clear:

"'But I don' love yo'.' (Jes' dem th'ee wuds!) De wuds fall right
slow--like dirt falls out a spade on a coffin when yo's buryin'
anybody, an' seys, 'Uth to uth.' Marse Chan he jes' let her hand
drap, an' he stiddy hisse'f 'g'inst de gate-pos', an' he didn'
speak torekly. When he did speak, all he sez wuz:

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