month or two, at some remote post-office,
before it reached its destination; and, of course, before it was
received, Tom was already lost to view among the distant swamps of the
Red river.

Mrs. Shelby read the intelligence with the deepest concern; but
any immediate action upon it was an impossibility. She was then in
attendance on the sick-bed of her husband, who lay delirious in the
crisis of a fever. Master George Shelby, who, in the interval, had
changed from a boy to a tall young man, was her constant and faithful
assistant, and her only reliance in superintending his father's affairs.
Miss Ophelia had taken the precaution to send them the name of the
lawyer who did business for the St. Clares; and the most that, in the
emergency, could be done, was to address a letter of inquiry to him.
The sudden death of Mr. Shelby, a few days after, brought, of course, an
absorbing pressure of other interests, for a season.

Mr. Shelby showed his confidence in his wife's ability, by appointing
her sole executrix upon his estates; and thus immediately a large and
complicated amount of business was brought upon her hands.

Mrs. Shelby, with characteristic energy, applied herself to the work of
straightening the entangled web of affairs; and she and George were
for some time occupied with collecting and examining accounts, selling
property and settling debts; for Mrs. Shelby was determined that
everything should be brought into tangible and recognizable shape, let
the consequences to her prove what they might. In the mean time, they
received a letter from the lawyer to whom Miss Ophelia had referred
them, saying that he knew nothing of the matter; that the man was sold
at a public auction, and that, beyond receiving the money, he knew
nothing of the affair.

Neither George nor Mrs. Shelby could be easy at this result; and,
accordingly, some six months after, the latter, having business for his
mother, down the river, resolved to visit New Orleans, in person, and
push his inquiries, in hopes of discovering Tom's whereabouts, and
restoring him.

After some months of unsuccessful search, by the merest accident, George
fell in with a man, in New Orleans, who happened to be possessed of the
desired information; and with his money in his pocket, our hero took
steamboat for Red river, resolving to find out and re-purchase his old
friend.

He was soon introduced into the house, where he found Legree in the
sitting-room.

Legre