m.'

"Retta, she wan't caren' then; she was young an' happy all day long
while her chile that was jest as white as Miss Gertrude dar be.

"Things went on that-a-way five yeahs, her chile was five yeahs ole
when he start fo' a business visit down to Charleston, an' he say fo'
he start that Retta gwine have her freedom papers fo' Christmas gift.
Well, sah, he done been gone two weeks in Charleston when he start
home, an' then Mahs Larue persuade him to stay ovah night at his
plantation fo' a fox hunt in the mawnen'. Mahs Matt was theah, an'
some othah friends, so he staid ovah an' next we heard Mahs Matt sent
word Mahs Tom killed, an' we all was to be ready to see aftah the
relations an' othah quality folks who boun' to come to the funeral.

"An' now, sah, you un'stan' what sort o' shock it was made Retta lose
her mind that time. She fainted dead away when she heard it, but then
she kind o' pulled herself togethah, as a horse will for a spurt, an'
she looked aftah the company an' took Mahs Matt's orders 'bout
'rangements, but we all most scared at the way she look--jest a
watching Mahs Matt constant, beggen' him with her eyes to tell her
'bout them freedom papers, but seems like he didn't un'stan', an' when
she ask him right out, right 'long side o' dead Mahs Tom, he inform
her he nevah heah tell 'bout them freedom papers, Mahs Tom not tole
him 'bout them, so she b'long to the 'state o' Loring jest same as she
did afore, only now Miss Gertrude owned her 'stead o' Mahs Tom.

"That when she tried to kill herself, an' try to kill the chile;
didn't know anybody, she didn't, I tell yo' it make a terrible
'miration 'mongst the quality folks, an' I b'lieve in my soul Mahs
Matt would a killed her if he dared, fo' it made all the folks
un'stan' jest what he would 'a tried to keep them from.

"An' that, sah, is the whole 'count o' the reason leaden' up to the
sickness whah she lost her mine. We all sutten sure Mahs Matt sell her
quick if evah her senses done come back, but she really an' truly
b'long to Miss Gertrude, an' Miss Gertrude, she couldn't see no good
reason to let go the best housekeeper on the plantation, an' that how
come she come to stay when she fetched back cured by them doctors. She
ain't nevah made a mite o' trouble--jest alles same as yo' see her,
but o' course yo' the best judge o' how far to trust her 'bout special
medicine an' sech."

"Yes," agreed Delaven, thoughtfully. He arose and walked back and
for