other 'twell Mis' 'Riah turned 'roun'. When she done dat
Mis' Laughter turned an' run up de stairs.

"After dat Mis' 'Riah wouldn' let dat chile go no place by hersef. I
was her bodyguard, everywhare she went I had to go too. We would go to
walk down in de pine woods back of de paster, an' somehow dat Yankee
would go to walk in dem woods too. Every time we seed him he would give
me a piece of money, an' when I got back to de house I didn' tell
nothin'. Den one day I heard dat sojer tell Mis' Laughter dat he was
gwine away. Mis' Laughter 'gun to cry an' I didn' hear what else dey
said kaze dey sent me down de path. But dat night Mis' Laughter put her
clothes in her box an' made me tote it down to de paster an' hide it in
de blackberry patch. Den she give me a note an' tole me to go to bed
an' go to sleep, but when mornin' come to give de note to Mis' 'Riah.

"De nex' mornin' I give de note to Mis' 'Riah, but by den Mis' Laughter
done gone off wid dat Yankee. Mis' 'Riah called all us niggers in de
big room. She took down de family Bible from de stand an' marked out
Mis' Laughter's name. 'I ain't got no daughter,' she say. ''Member, de
chile dat I had am dead an' her name mustn' never be called in dis
house no more.'

"We all went out 'cept Gran'mammy, but Mis' 'Riah wouldn' let her talk
to her 'bout forgivin' Mis' Laughter, an' when de letters 'gun to come
dey was sent back unopened.

"Mis' 'Riah's niece, Mis' Betty an' Marse John Davis, hur husban', come
to live wid Mis' 'Riah to help her 'ten' to things, but nobody was
'lowed to call Mis' Laughter's name. Even though dey was free,
gran'mammy an' pappy an' some more of us niggers stayed on at de
plantation helpin' on de farm, but in 'bout a year Mis' 'Riah took
sick. Mis' Betty wanted to sen' for Mis' Laughter, but Mis' 'Riah
wouldn' even answer, but Mis' Betty sent for her anyhow an' kept her
down stairs. Den one day de sun turned black an' de chickens went to
roost in de day time. Gran'mammy flung her apron over her face an' 'gun
to pray kase she knew de death angel was comin' after Mis' 'Riah. Mis'
Betty got Mis' Laughter an' when she come up de stairs all us house
niggers stood in de hall watchin' her go in to see Mis' 'Riah. She was
layin' on de bed wid her eyes shut like she was sleep.

"Mis' Laughter went in an' kneel down by de bed. 'Mammy, Mammy,' she
say soft jus' like dat.

"Mis' 'Riah's hands caught hold of de quilt tight, but she ain't opened
her eyes