nigger." She looked into the
kitchen and added, "He's sound asleep on the floor."

"If he's so much trouble to you," said Sukey, "I wish you'd give him to
me. I always thought I should like to have a nigger."

"You may have him if you want him," replied Mrs. Lawton. "He's nothing
but a pester, and he takes up a quarter part of Chloe's time. But you'd
better take him before she gets home, for she'll make a fuss; and if he
wakes up he'll cry."

Sukey had a plan in her mind, suggested by the sight of the silk gown,
and she was eager to get possession of little Tommy. She said her horse
was tackled to the wagon, all ready to start for home, and there was
some straw in the bottom of it. The vehicle was soon at the widow's
door, and by careful management the child was placed on the straw
without waking; though Catharine said she heard him cry before the wagon
was out of sight.

Chloe hurried through her work on the beach, and came home at a quick
pace; for she was longing to see her darling, and she had some
misgivings as to how he was treated in her absence. She opened the
kitchen-door with the expectation that Tommy would spring toward her, as
usual, exclaiming, "Mammy! mammy!" The disappointment gave her a chill,
and she ran out to call him. When no little voice responded to the call,
she went to the sitting-room and said, "Missis, have you seen Tommy?"

"He a'n't been here," replied Mrs. Lawton, evasively. "Can't you find
him?"

The Widow was a regular communicant of the Reverend Mr. Gordonmammon's
church; but she was so blinded by slavery that it never occurred to her
there was any sin in thus trifling with a mother's feelings. When Chloe
had hurried out of the room, she said to her daughter, in a tone of
indifference, "One good thing will come of giving Tommy to Sukey
Larkin,--she won't come spying about here for one spell; she'll be
afraid to face Chloe."

In fact, she herself soon found it rather unpleasant to face Chloe; for
the bereaved mother grew so wild with anxiety, that the hardest heart
could not remain untouched. "O missis! why didn't you let me take Tommy
with me" exclaimed she. "He played with hisself, and wasn't no care to
me. I s'pose he was lonesome, and runned down to the beach to look for
mammy; an' he's got drownded." With that thought she rushed to the door
to go and hunt for him on the sea-shore.

Her mistress held her back with a strong arm, and, finding it impossible
to pacify her, she a