s point of appeal.

"What do you think of doing?"

"Who, me?"

"Who else? I can't think for you any longer."

"Oh, I'll be all right, sah. I foun' er lot er good colored friends in
de bordin' house las' night. Wid dat five hundred dollars, I be livin'
in clover here, sah, sho. I done talk wid a feller 'bout goin' in
business."

"What line of business?"

"He gwine ter sho me ter-day, sah."

"You don't think you might change your mind about Liberia?"

"Na sah. I don't like my uncle dat's ober dar, nohow."

"Then I can't help you any more, Sam?"

"Na sah, Marse Robert. Y'u been de bes' master any nigger eber had in
dis worl' an' I ain't nebber gwine ter fergit dat. When I feels dem five
hundred dollars in my pocket I des swells up lak I gwine ter bust. I'se
dat proud o' myse'f an' my ole marster dat gimme a start. Lordee, sah,
hit's des gwine ter be fun fer me ter git long an' I mak' my fortune
right here. Ye see ef I don't--"

Lee smiled indulgently.

"Watch out you don't lose the little one I gave you."

"Yassah, I got hit all sewed up in my close."

The old master saw that further argument would be useless. He rose
wondering if his act of emancipation were not an act of cowardice--the
shirking of responsibility for the boy's life. His mouth closed firmly.
That was just the point about the institution of Slavery. No such
responsibility should be placed on any man's shoulders.

Sam insisted on ministering to the wants of the family until he saw them
safely on the boat for West Point. He waved each member a long goodbye.
And then hurried to his new chum at the boarding house on Water Street.
This dusky friend had won Sam's confidence by his genial ways on the
first night of their acquaintance. He had learned that Sam had just been
freed. That this was his first trip to New York though he spoke with
careless ease of his knowledge of Washington.

But the most important fact revealed was that he had lately come into
money through the generosity of his former master. The sable New Yorker
evinced no curiosity about the amount.

After four days of joy he waked from a sickening stupor. He found
himself lying in a filthy alley at dawn, bareheaded, his coat torn up
the back, every dollar gone and his friend nowhere to be found.

Colonel Lee had given him the address of three clergymen and told him to
call on them for help if he had any trouble. He looked everywhere for
these cards. They couldn't be found. He