hen Marse Chan tole her dat, she sort o' started an' looked up
at 'im like she wuz mighty sorry, an' 'peared like she didn' stan'
quite so straight arfter dat. Den Marse Chan he went on talkin' right
fars' to her; an' he tole her how he had loved her ever sence she wuz
a little bit o' baby mos', an' how he nuvver 'membered de time when he
hedn' 'spected to marry her. He tole her it wuz his love for her dat
hed made 'im stan' fust at school an' collige, an' hed kep' 'im good
an' pure; an' now he wuz gwine 'way, wouldn' she let it be like 'twuz
in ole times, an' ef he come back from de war wouldn' she try to t'ink
on him ez she use' to do when she wuz a little guirl?

"Marse Chan he had done been talkin' so serious, he hed done tuk Miss
Anne's han', an' wuz lookin' down in her face like he wuz list'nin'
wid his eyes.

"Arfter a minit Miss Anne she said somethin', an' Marse Chan he cotch
her udder han' an' sez:

"'But if you love me, Anne?'

"When he sed dat, she tu'ned her head 'way from 'im, an' wait' a
minit, an' den she sed--right clear:

"'But I don' love yo'.' (Jes' dem th'ee wuds!) De wuds fall right
slow--like dirt falls out a spade on a coffin when yo's buryin'
anybody an' seys, 'Uth to uth.' Marse Chan he jes' let her hand drap,
an' he stiddy hisse'f 'g'inst de gate-pos', an' he didn' speak
toreckly. When he did speak, all he sez wuz:

"'I mus' see you home safe.'

"I 'clar, marster, I didn' know 'twuz Marse Chan's voice tell I look
at 'im right good. Well, she wouldn' let 'im go wid her. She jes'
wrap' her cloak 'roun' her shoulders, an' wen' 'long back by herse'f,
widout doin' more'n jes' look up once at Marse Chan leanin' dyah
'g'inst de gate-pos' in he sodger clo'es, wid he eyes on de groun'.
She said 'Good-by' sort o' sorf, an' Marse Chan, widout lookin' up,
shake han's wid her, an' she wuz done gone down de road. Soon ez she
got 'mos' 'roun' de curve, Marse Chan he followed her, keepin' under
de trees so ez not to be seen, an' I led de hosses on down de road
behine 'im. He kep' 'long behine her tell she wuz safe in de house,
an' den he come an' got on he hoss, an' we all come home.

"Nex' mawnin' we all come off to j'ine de army. An' dey wuz a-drillin'
an' a-drillin' all 'bout for a while an' dey went 'long wid all de
res' o' de army, an I went wid Marse Chan an' clean he boots, an' look
arfter de tent, an' tek keer o' him an' de hosses. An' Marse Chan, he
wan' a bit like he use' to be. He wuz so