ather had also been a Haytian refugee. But there the similitude ends;
unlike Le Croix, he had grown up a gay and reckless young man, fond of
sports, and living an aimless life.

His father had on his plantation a beautiful quadroon girl, named Ellen,
whom he had bought in Richmond because she begged him to buy her when he
had bought her mother, who had been recommended to him as a first-rate
cook. They had been servants in what was called one of the first
families of Virginia, and had been treated by their mistress with more
kindness and consideration than generally fell to the lot of persons in
their condition. As long as she lived, they had been well fed and well
clothed, and except the deprivation of their freedom, had known but few
of the hardships so incident to slave life; but a reverse had fallen
upon them.

Their mistress had intended to set them free, but, dying suddenly, she
had failed to carry out her intention. Her property fell into the hands
of distant heirs, who sold it all, and divided it among themselves.
Ellen and her mother were put up at auction, when a kindly looking old
Frenchman bought the mother. Ellen stood trembling by; but, when she saw
her mother's new master, she started forth, and kneeling at his feet,
she begged him to buy her. The mother joined in and said, "Do, Massa,
and I'll serve you faithful day and night; there is a heap of work in
these old bones yet."

Mr. Le Grange told her to be quiet, and he would buy her. And, true to
his word, although the bidding ran high, and the competition was fierce,
he bought her; and the next day, he started with them for his plantation
on Red River.

His son, Louis, had just graduated, and was spending the winter at home,
in just that mood of which it is said that Satan finds some mischief for
idle hands to do. Milly, who knew the wiles of the world better than
Ellen, tried to keep her as much as possible out of his way; but her
caution was all in vain. She saw her child engulfed, as thousands of her
race had been.

Mrs. Le Grange, when she became apprised of the condition of things,
grew very angry; but, instead of venting her indignation upon the head
of her offending son, she poured out the vials of her wrath upon the
defenseless girl. She made up her mind to sell her off the place, and
picked the opportunity, while her son was absent, to send her to a
trader's pen in the city. When Louis came home, he found Milly looking
very sullen and dist