ar
fellow managed his master's whole farm. He has a strornary talent for
business."

"Bad, bad, very bad; knows altogether too much!" said the young man,
with the same mocking smile playing about his mouth. "Never will do, in
the world. Your smart fellows are always running off, stealing horses,
and raising the devil generally. I think you'll have to take off a
couple of hundred for his smartness."

"Wal, there might be something in that ar, if it warnt for his
character; but I can show recommends from his master and others, to
prove he is one of your real pious,--the most humble, prayin, pious
crittur ye ever did see. Why, he's been called a preacher in them parts
he came from."

"And I might use him for a family chaplain, possibly," added the young
man, dryly. "That's quite an idea. Religion is a remarkably scarce
article at our house."

"You're joking, now."

"How do you know I am? Didn't you just warrant him for a preacher? Has
he been examined by any synod or council? Come, hand over your papers."

If the trader had not been sure, by a certain good-humored twinkle in
the large eye, that all this banter was sure, in the long run, to turn
out a cash concern, he might have been somewhat out of patience; as it
was, he laid down a greasy pocket-book on the cotton-bales, and began
anxiously studying over certain papers in it, the young man standing by,
the while, looking down on him with an air of careless, easy drollery.

"Papa, do buy him! it's no matter what you pay," whispered Eva, softly,
getting up on a package, and putting her arm around her father's neck.
"You have money enough, I know. I want him."

"What for, pussy? Are you going to use him for a rattle-box, or a
rocking-horse, or what?

"I want to make him happy."

"An original reason, certainly."

Here the trader handed up a certificate, signed by Mr. Shelby, which
the young man took with the tips of his long fingers, and glanced over
carelessly.

"A gentlemanly hand," he said, "and well spelt, too. Well, now, but
I'm not sure, after all, about this religion," said he, the old wicked
expression returning to his eye; "the country is almost ruined with
pious white people; such pious politicians as we have just before
elections,--such pious goings on in all departments of church and state,
that a fellow does not know who'll cheat him next. I don't know, either,
about religion's being up in the market, just now. I have not looked in
the papers l