come to town an' it did'n
take no time to fine out what to do with her, _then_!

"Miss Gertrude wan't no 'special stout chile, an' took a heap o' care
an' pamperin' an' when none o' the othahs could do a trick with her,
Retta would jest walk in, take her in her arms, an' the wah was ended
fo' that time! Fust time Mahs Tom see that performance he laugh
hearty, an' then he say, 'Retta, we jest find out what we do need you
fo'; yo' gwine to be installed as governess at Lorinwood from this
time on.' An' Retta she was powerful pleased an' so happy, she alles a
laughen' an' her eyes a shinen'.

"Long 'bout a yeah after that, it was, when Miss Leo die. Mahs Tom, he
went way then fo' a long spell, cause the place too lonesome, an' when
he come back, Retta, she ovah seventeen, an' she jest manage the whole
house fine as she manage that baby, an' all the quality folks what
come an' go praise her mightily an' talk 'bout how peart she was.

"Then Mahs Matt, he come up from Orleans, whah he been cutten' a wide
swath, if all folks told true, an' fust thing his eyes caught was that
gal Retta, an' he up an' tole Mahs Tom what a fool he was not to sell
her down in Orleans whah she'd fetch mo' money than would buy six nuss
gals or housekeepers.

"Mahs Tom cussed at him powerful wicked when he say that! I heard that
my own self--it was down at the stable an' I was jest putten' a saddle
on fo' Mahs Tom, an' then right in the middle o' his cussin' an'
callen' names he stopped short off an' says--says he: 'Don't you evah
open youah mouth to me 'bout that again so long as yo' live. If Retta
takes care o' my Gertrude till she ten yeahs old, I made up my mine to
give her freedom if she want it, that gal wan't bought for no slave
an' she ain't gwine to be one heah--yo' un'stan'? You un'stan' if you
got any notion o' stayen' at Lorinwood!' An' then with some more
mighty uncivil sayen's he got in the saddle an' rode like Jehu, an' I
don' reckon Mahs Matt evah did make mention of it again, fo' they got
'long all good 'nough so long as he stayed.

"Well, sah, haven' to take her part a-way made him think mo' 'bout the
gal I reckon; anyway he say plain to more'n one that he sure gwine
give Retta her freedom.

"He gwine do it jest aftah her chile was bawn, then theah was some law
fusses raised 'bout that time consarnnen' Mahstahs freen' slaves, an'
Mahs Matt was theah then, an' he not say a word again _freen'_ her,
only he say, 'wait a spell, To