tthias as he
turned to answer.

"What did you come home with Miss Minot for?" said Benton.

"Kase she axed me too, sah."

"Whom has she been to see?"

"Dat poor gal."

"Who is that girl, do you know?

"Yas, sah," said the honest old man.

"You know more to-day than you did yesterday."

"Yas, sah."

"Why don't you tell me who she is."

"You did'nt ax me, you said did I know?"

"I don't want any of your nigger talk. I want her name, and by the great
----"

"Look yer, Mas'r Benton, if you's gwine to dip in an' swar, I'll tote
long by myself."

"Well, tell me who she is."

"She tole me she was dat little Molly Harris dat lived down in
Charleston, an--"

"How in thunder did she get here?"

"Dunno, sah."

"You do know, and I tell you you'll make money to tell me all about it."

"Dunno nothin' moah. I said dat same word, how you git yere, and she say
never min 'bout dat."

"What else did she say, what does she want?"

"Wall, de res ob what she tell me, 'pears like she didn't 'spect me
tell. I'll go over thar, an' tell her you wants to know, an--"

"The devil you will, you impudent rascal--all I want to know is if she
wants to find me."

"De good Lord, dat's de berry secret I don't want to tell."

"Ah! ha! my fine fellow, caught at last."

"Well," said he, "ef de Lord was right yere in dis vilit angil he'd say
Matt dunno nothin' 'bout how de poor lamb got roun' to dis town."

"I don't know how to believe this, but now look here, Matt, if you'll go
over there and tell her I've gone to Chicago, I'll do something nice for
you. I'll get you a suit of nicer clothes than you ever had, and a shiny
hat--hey, what do you say?"

"Mas'r Benton," said Matthias slowly, "I'm never gwine to tell a lie an'
set myself in de place whar Satan hisself can ketch a holt an me. No,
sah, 'pears like I'm ready to do what's right, but dat ain't right
nohow, an' 'pears, too, its mighty funny you's so scart of dat poor
little milk-faced gal. Trus' in de Lord, Mas'r Benton, an' go right on
over thar--she can't hurt you nohow."

"Don't talk your nonsense to me; you're on her side, she's bought you,
but I'll be even with you; I'll slap your face now to make a good
beginning."

"No, sah," said Matthias, "I'm done bein' a slave jes now, an' ef you
want to make me hit you I shall jes do it; fur you no bizness in de law
specially tryin' to put it on a poor ole nigger who can't go by ye
'thout your grabbin' at him jes ready