was sent to de wheat fiel's. Dey was smart niggers, dey worked
hard--too hard for dey own good. In dem times 'twuz de smart, hard
workin' niggers dat brought de bes' price, an' nobody didn' know dat
better den Marse Drew.

"One day Cleve seed Marse Drew watchin' Lissa. She was gleamin' de
wheat. Her skin was de color of warm brown velvet; her eyes was dark
an' bright an' shinin' like muscadines under de frosty sun, an' her
body was slender like a young tree dat bends easy. As she stooped an'
picked up de wheat, flingin' it 'cross her arm, she swayed back an'
fo'th jus' like dem saplins down yonder by de creek sways in de win'.

"Cleve watched Marse Drew on de sly. He seed him watchin' Lissa. He
seed de lustful look in his eyes, but 'twuzn' Lissa he lustin' after;
'twuz money he seed in her slender swayin' body, in de smooth warm
brown skin, an' de quick, clean way she gleam de wheat. Stripped to de
wais' on de Alabama auction block she would bring near 'bout a thousan'
dollars. Cleve 'gun to sweat. He turned so sick an' skeered dat he
could hardly swing de scythe through de wheat. Marse Drew done took his
baby away, an' now sumpin' way down in his heart told him dat he was
gwine take Lissa. He didn' keer if he parted dem, 'twuz dollars he seed
swingin' 'roun' his head--gol' dollars shinin' brighter den stars.

"'Twuz de nex' day dat Marse Drew went to Cleve's cabin. He walk up
whistlin' an' knock on de door wid de butt of his whip.

"Cleve opened de door.

"Ole Marse tole him to pack Lissa's clothes, dat he was takin' her to
Souf Boston de nex' day to sell her on de block.

"Cleve fell on his knees an' 'gun to plead. He knew Ole Marse wuzn'
gwine take Lissa to no Souf Boston; he was gwine take her way off an'
he wouldn' never see her no more. He beg an' promise Marse Drew to be
good an' do anything he say [HW: to] do if he jus' leave him Lissa, dat
she was his wife an' he love her. But Marse Drew hit him 'cross de face
wid his whip, cuttin' his lip in half, den he went over an' felt of
Lissa's arms an' legs like she might have been a hoss.

"When he done gone Cleve went over an' set down by Lissa an' took her
han'. Lissa 'gun to cry, den she jumped up an' 'menced to take down her
clothes hangin' on de wall.

"Cleve watched her for a while, den he made up his min' he gwine do
sumpin', dat she ain't gwine be took away from him. He say: 'Quit dat,
Lissa, leave dem clothes alone. You ain't gwine leave me, you ain't