a sort of awe, as if it was possessed
of some sort of miraculous power. Even now Viney did not take hold of
it, but shrunk away with a sort of gasp.

"No, Ben, you keep it. I can't tek keer o' no sich precious thing ez
dat. Put hit in yo' chist."

"Tek hit and feel of hit, anyhow, so's you'll know dat you's free."

She took it gingerly between her thumb and forefinger. Ben suddenly
let go.

"Dah, now," he said; "you keep dat docyment. It's yo's. Keep hit undah
yo' own 'sponsibility."

"No, no, Ben!" she cried. "I jes' can't!"

"You mus'. Dat's de way to git used to bein' free. Whenevah you looks
at yo'se'f an' feels lak you ain' no diff'ent f'om whut you been you
tek dat papah out an' look at hit, an' say to yo'se'f, 'Dat means
freedom.'"

Carefully, reverently, silently Viney put the paper into her bosom.

"Now, de nex' t'ing fu' me to do is to set out to git one dem papahs
fu' myse'f. Hit'll be a long try, 'cause I can't buy mine so cheap as
I got yo's, dough de Lawd knows why a great big ol' hunk lak me should
cos' mo'n a precious mossell lak you."

"Hit's because dey's so much of you, Ben, an' evah bit of you's wo'th
its weight in gol'."

"Heish, chile! Don' put my valy so high, er I'll be twell jedgment day
a-payin' hit off."

PART II

So Ben went forth to battle for his own freedom, undaunted by the task
before him, while Viney took care of the cabin, doing what she could
outside. Armed with her new dignity, she insisted upon her friends'
recognizing the change in her condition.

Thus, when Mandy so far forgot herself as to address her as Viney
Raymond, the new free woman's head went up and she said with withering
emphasis:

"Mis' Viney Allen, if you please!"

"Viney Allen!" exclaimed her visitor. "Huccum you's Viney Allen now?"

"'Cause I don' belong to de Raymonds no mo', an' I kin tek my own name
now."

"Ben 'longs to de Raymonds, an' his name Ben Raymond an' you his wife.
How you git aroun' dat, Mis' Viney Allen?"

"Ben's name goin' to be Mistah Allen soon's he gits his free papahs."

"Oomph! You done gone now! Yo' naik so stiff you can't ha'dly ben' it.
I don' see how dat papah mek sich a change in anybody's actions. Yo'
face ain' got no whitah."

"No, but I's free, an' I kin do as I please."

Mandy went forth and spread the news that Viney had changed her name
from Raymond to Allen. "She's Mis' Viney Allen, if you please!" was
her comment. Great was the indignation among the