sion, in the partnership, and
Ordez has cleared out of the country. I know what you paid for his
half-interest in this business, it's set out in the assignment. It was
three thousand dollars.

"Think of it, man, three thousand dollars to Ordez for a wholesale,
omnibus assignment of everything. An elastic legal note of an assignment
that you can stretch to include this girl along with the half-dozen
other slaves that you have on hand here; and I offer you ten thousand
dollars for the girl alone!"

One could see how the repetition of the sum in gold affected Zindorf.

He had the love of money in that dominating control that the Apostle
spoke of. But the elegant young man was moved by a lure no less potent.
And his anxiety, for the time, suppressed the evidences of liquor.

"I'll take the risk on the title, Zindorf. You and Ordez were partners
in this traffic. Ordez gives you a general assignment of all slaves on
hand for three thousand dollars and lights out of the country. He leaves
his daughter here among the others. And this general assignment can be
construed to include her. Her mother was a slave and that brings her
within the law. We know precisely who her mother was, and all about it.
You looked it up and my lawyer, Mr. Cable, looked it up. Her mother
was the octoroon woman, Suzanne, owned by old Judge Marquette in New
Orleans.

"There may have been some sort of church marriage, but there's no legal
record, Cable says.

"The woman belonged to Marquette, and under the law the girl is a slave.
You got a paper title out of Marquette's executors, privily, years
ago. Now you have this indefinite assignment by Ordez. He's gone to the
Spanish Islands, or the devil, or both. And if Mr. Pendleton can draw
a deed of sale that will stand in the courts between us, I'll take the
risk on the validity of my title."

He paused.

"The law's sound on slaves, Judge Madison has a dozen himself, not all
black either; not three-eighths black!" and he laughed.

Then he turned to my father.

"Mr. Pendleton," he said, "I persuaded Zindorf to send for you to draw
up this deed of sale. I have no confidence in the little practicing
tricksters at the county seat. They take a fee and, with premeditation,
write a word or phrase into the contract that leaves it open for a suit
at law."

He made a courteous bow, accompanied by a dancing master's gesture.

"I do not offend you with the offer of a fee, but I present my gratitude
for