p
you. If I knew where the man was that bought your child I'd buy her back
and give her to you. Then if Captain Leathers would set you free you could
both go North and nobody could ever separate you again."

"Bress yer good haht, honey!" exclaimed Tenny, clapping her hands. "I wish
I knowed his name. He wus an horsifer. I heerd dem call him Kuhnel."

"And don't you remember his name?"

"No, missy; I doesn't. Nebber heerd him called nuffin but Kuhnel nohow.
Wait a minnit! Chile, chile, 'pears ter me I did hyar it. Lemme think. My
ole haid no 'count no mo'." She placed her hands to her head and looked
with troubled eyes at Jeanne. "Why can't I 'member? 'Twuzn't Massa Benson?
No; 'twuzn't. Think, nigga! Why done yer 'zert yersef? Nebber did hab no
sense nohow."

Thus she rambled on, muttering to herself until presently she sprang to
her feet exclaiming:

"I'se got it, missy. 'Twuz Kuhnel Peyton. Massa Kuhnel Peyton! I 'members
it now 'zactly. Massa Kuhnel Peyton! Dat's it. Dat's it."

"Colonel Peyton!" said Jeanne. "I'll remember that name, Tenny. How much
do you suppose the Colonel would want for her?"

"'Bout a tousand dollahs, I reckon," answered Tenny.

"A thousand dollars," echoed Jeanne in dismay. "Oh, Tenny, I haven't near
that much. I didn't suppose that it would be so much as that."

"Niggas wuth heaps ob money," said Tenny proudly. "My gal wuz smaht, I
tell yer. Dat's why she brung so much. Can't you buy her, missy? Tenny'll
lub yer all yer life ef yer will."

"I'll write to my father," decided Jeanne. "I'll get him to buy her for
me. He will know just what to do, and you shall have your child again,
Tenny, I'll promise you that."

"Ef yer'll jest do that, missy, ole Tenny'll do anything in de wohld fer
yer," sobbing in her eagerness. "To think ob habin' my babby ergain. She
wuz my babby, missy. I had ten befo' her but 'peared laik none ob dem
tuk sich a hole on ma haht de way she did. Ef I kin hab her ergain I'll
brack yer shoes, an' scrub yer floors er do anything all de res' ob ma
life. Yer won't need ter lift yer purty white han's ter do er a lick er
wuk nebber no mo'."

"I'll do it if it is possible," said Jeanne. "It may take some time to
find the Colonel, Tenny. You know that the war has disturbed everything
so, but my father will know just what to do. If anybody can find him I
know that he can. Just hope and pray that it will all come right yet."

"I'll do dat, honey. I'se been prayin' fer