l dat, an' he give in. I didn't hear it, but ole Sam did, an' his
han' shook so he mos' spilt de soup. But law, honey, dat didn't make
no diff'ence to Miss Nannie. She'd go off by herse'f wid her books an'
sit all day under de trees, an' sing to herse'f jes' like a bird, an'
dey'd sing to her, an' all dat time her face was a-beamin' an' her hair
shinin' like gold, an' she a-growin' taller, an' her eyes gittin'
bigger an' bigger, an' brighter, an' her little footses white an'
cunnin' as a rabbit's.

"De only place whar she did go outside de big house was over to Mis'
Morgan's, who lived on de nex' plantation. Miss Morgan didn't hab no
chillen of her own, an' she'd send for Miss Nannie to come an' keep her
company, she was dat dead lonesome, an' dey was glad 'nough to let dat
chile go so dey could git her out o' de house. Ole Sam allers said
dat, for he heared 'em talk at table an' knowed what was gwine on.

"Purty soon long come de time when Miss Rachel done finish her
eddication, an' she come back to de big house an' sot herse'f up to
'ceive company. She warn't bad lookin' in dem days, I mus' say, an' if
dat woman's sperit hadn't 'a' been in her she might 'a' pulled through.
But dere warn't no fetching up could stand agin dat blood. Miss Rachel
'd git dat ornery dat you could n't do nuffin wid her, jes' like her
maw. De fust real out-an'-out beau she had was Dr. Tom Boling. He
lived 'bout fo'teen miles out o' Lexin'ton on de big plantation, an'
was de richest young man in our parts. His paw had died 'bout two
years befo' an' lef' him mo' money dan he could th'ow away, an' he'd
jes' come back from Philadelphy, whar he'd been a-learnin' to be a
doctor. He met Miss Rachel at a party in Louisville, an' de fust
Sunday she come home he driv over to see her. If ye could 'a' seen de
mist'ess when she see him comin' in de gate! All in his ridin' boots
an' his yaller breeches an' bottle-green coat, an' his servant a-ridin'
behind to hold de horses.

"Ole Sam an' me was a-watchin' de mist'ess peekin' th'ough de blind at
him, her eyes a-blazin', an' Sam laughed so he had to stuff a napkin in
his mouf to keep 'er from hearin' him. Well, suh, dat went on all de
summer. Eve'y time he come de mist'ess 'd be dat sweet mos' make a
body sick to see her, an' when he'd stay away she was dat pesky dere
warn't no livin' wid her. Of co'se dere was plenty mo' gemmen co'rting
Miss Rachel, too, but none o' dem didn't count wid d