funeral wreaths,--all made the place an ideal one for a
ghost story.

"Chloe," Julius began in a subdued tone, "use' ter b'long ter ole Mars'
Dugal' McAdoo--my ole marster. She wuz a ladly gal en a smart gal, en
ole mis' tuk her up ter de big house, en l'arnt her ter wait on de w'ite
folks, 'tel bimeby she come ter be mis's own maid, en 'peared ter 'low
she run de house herse'f, ter heah her talk erbout it. I wuz a young
boy den, en use' ter wuk about de stables, so I knowed ev'ythin' dat wuz
gwine on roun' de plantation.

"Well, one time Mars' Dugal' wanted a house boy, en sont down ter de
qua'ters fer hab Jeff en Hannibal come up ter de big house nex'
mawnin'. Ole marster en ole mis' look' de two boys ober, en 'sco'sed wid
deyse'ves fer a little w'ile, en den Mars' Dugal' sez, sezee:--

"'We laks Hannibal de bes', en we gwine ter keep him. Heah, Hannibal,
you'll wuk at de house fum now on. En ef you're a good nigger en min's
yo' bizness, I'll gib you Chloe fer a wife nex' spring. You other
nigger, you Jeff, you kin go back ter de qua'ters. We ain' gwine ter
need you.'

"Now Chloe had be'n standin' dere behin' ole mis' dyoin' all er dis yer
talk, en Chloe made up her min' fum de ve'y fus' minute she sot eyes on
dem two dat she didn' lak dat nigger Hannibal, en wa'n't nebber gwine
keer fer 'im, en she wuz des ez sho' dat she lak Jeff, en wuz gwine ter
set sto' by 'im, whuther Mars' Dugal' tuk 'im in de big house er no; en
so co'se Chloe wuz monst'us sorry w'en ole Mars' Dugal' tuk Hannibal en
sont Jeff back. So she slip' roun' de house en waylaid Jeff on de way
back ter de qua'ters en tol' 'im not ter be downhea'ted, fer she wuz
gwine ter see ef she couldn' fin' some way er 'nuther ter git rid er dat
nigger Hannibal, en git Jeff up ter de house in his place.

"De noo house boy kotch on monst'us fas', en it wa'n't no time ha'dly
befo' Mars' Dugal' en ole mis' bofe 'mence' ter 'low Hannibal wuz de
bes' house boy dey eber had. He wuz peart en soopl', quick ez lightnin',
en sha'p ez a razor. But Chloe didn' lak his ways. He wuz so sho' he wuz
gwine ter git 'er in de spring, dat he didn' 'pear ter 'low he had ter
do any co'tin', en w'en he'd run 'cross Chloe 'bout de house, he'd swell
roun' 'er in a biggity way en say:

"'Come heah en kiss me, honey. You gwine ter be mine in de spring. You
doan 'pear ter be ez fon' er me ez you oughter be.'

"Chloe didn' keer nuffin' fer Hannibal, en hadn' keered nuffin' fer 'im,
en