ressed, and her eyes red with weeping.

"What is the matter?" said Louis.

"Matter enough," said Milly. "Missus done gone and sold Ellen."

"Sold Ellen! Why, how did that happen?"

"Why, she found out all about her, and said she should not stay on the
place another day, and so she sent her down to Orleans to the nigger
traders, and my heart's most broke," and Milly sat down, wiping her
tears with her apron.

"Never mind, Milly," said Louis, "I'll go down to New Orleans and bring
her back. Mother sha'n't do as she pleases with me, as if I were a boy,
and must always be tied to her apron string. I've got some money of my
own, and I mean to find Ellen if I have to look all over the country."

He entered the dining room, and saw his mother seated at the tea table,
looking as bland and pleasant as a Spring morning, and asked, "Where is
Ellen?"

The smile died from her lips, and she answered, curtly, "She is out of
_your_ reach [?]. I've sold her."

"But where have you sold her?"

"Out of your reach, and that is all I am going to tell you."

Louis, without saying another word went out to the coachman, and asked
what time the cars left the station.

"Ten minutes to nine."

"Can you take me there in time to reach the train? I want to go to the
city tonight."

"Dunno, massa; my best horse is lame, and what----"

"Never mind your excuse; here," said he, throwing him a dollar, "hitch
up as quick as possible, and take me there without any 'buts' or 'ifs.'"

"All right, massa," said Sam, grinning with delight. "I'll have you over
there in short order."

The carriage harnessed, Samuel found no difficulty with his horses, and
reached the depot almost a half hour before the time.

Louis arrived in the city after midnight, and the next day he devoted to
hunting for Ellen. He searched through different slave pens, inquired of
all the traders, until at last, ready to abandon his search in
hopelessness, he heard of a private jail in the suburbs of the city.
Nothing daunted by his failure, he found the place and Ellen also.

The trader eyed him keenly, and saw from his manner that he was in
earnest about having the girl.

"She is not for sale in this city. Whoever buys her must give me a
pledge to take her out of this city. That was the bargain I made with
her mistress. She made me promise her that I would sell her to no one in
the vicinity of the city. In fact, she wanted me to sell her out of the
way of her son. Hi