Martin Luther King Jr. Day Anthology, - [best novels for beginners .txt] 📗

a wud he said, en call’ ‘im a low-down nigger who wuz tryin’ ter slander Jeff ‘ca’se he wuz mo’ luckier’n he wuz. But all de same, she couldn’ keep her min’ fum runnin’ on w’at Hannibal had said. She ‘membered she’d heared one er de niggers say dey wuz a gal ober at Mars’

Marrabo Utley’s plantation w’at Jeff use’ ter go wid some befo’ he got ‘quainted wid Chloe. Den she ‘mence’ ter figger back, en sho’

‘nuff, dey wuz two er th’ee times in de las’ week w’en she’d be’n he’p’n de ladies wid dey dressin’ en udder fixin’s in de ebenin’, en Jeff mought ‘a’ gone down ter de swamp widout her knowin’ ‘bout it at all. En den she ‘mence’ ter ‘member little things w’at she hadn’ tuk no notice of befo’, en w’at ‘u’d make it ‘pear lak Jeff had sump’n on his min’.

 

“Chloe set a monst’us heap er sto’ by Jeff, en would ‘a’ done mos’

anythin’ fer ‘im, so long ez he stuck ter her. But Chloe wuz a mighty jealous ‘oman, en w’iles she didn’ b’liebe w’at Hannibal said, she seed how it COULD ‘a’ be’n so, en she ‘termine’ fer ter fin’ out fer herse’f whuther it WUZ so er no.

 

“Now, Chloe hadn’ seed Jeff all day, fer Mars’ Dugal’ had sont Jeff ober ter his daughter’s house, young Mis’ Ma’g’ret’s, w’at libbed ‘bout fo’ miles fum Mars’ Dugal’s, en Jeff wuzn’ ‘spected home ‘tel ebenin’. But des atter supper wuz ober, en w’iles de ladies wuz settin’ out on de piazzer, Chloe slip’ off fum de house en run down de road,—dis yer same road we come; en w’en she got mos’ ter de crick—dis yer same crick right befo’ us—she kin’ er kip’ in de bushes at de side er de road, ‘tel fin’ly she seed Jeff settin’ on de back on de udder side er de crick,—right under dat ole willer tree droopin’ ober de watah yander. En ev’y now en den he’d git up en look up de road to’ds Mars’ Marrabo’s on de udder side er de swamp.

 

“Fus’ Chloe felt lak she’d go right ober de crick en gib Jeff a piece er her min’. Den she ‘lowed she better be sho’ befo’ she done anythin’. So she helt herse’f in de bes’ she could, gittin’

madder en madder ev’ry minute, ‘tel bimeby she seed a ‘oman comin’

down de road on de udder side fum to’ds Mars’ Marrabo Utley’s plantation. En w’en she seed Jeff jump up en run to’ds dat ‘oman, en th’ow his a’ms roun’ her neck, po’ Chloe didn’ stop ter see no mo’, but des tu’nt roun’ en run up ter de house, en rush’ up on de piazzer, en up en tol’ Mars’ Dugal’ en ole mis’ all ‘bout de baby-doll, en all ‘bout Jeff gittin’ de goopher fum Aun’ Peggy, en ‘bout w’at de goopher had done ter Hannibal.

 

“Mars’ Dugal’ wuz monst’us mad. He didn’ let on at fus’ lak he b’liebed Chloe, but w’en she tuk en showed ‘im whar ter fin’ de baby-doll, Mars’ Dugal’ tu’nt w’ite ez chalk.

 

“‘What debil’s wuk is dis?’ sezee. ‘No wonder de po’ nigger’s feet eetched. Sump’n got ter be done ter l’arn dat ole witch ter keep her han’s off’n my niggers. En ez fer dis yer Jeff, I’m gwine ter do des w’at I promus’, so de darkies on dis plantation’ll know I means w’at I sez.’

 

“Fer Mars’ Dugal’ had warned de han’s befo’ ‘bout foolin’ wid cunju’ation; fac’, he had los’ one er two niggers hisse’f fum dey bein’ goophered, en he would ‘a’ had ole Aun’ Peggy whip’ long ago, on’y Aun’ Peggy wuz a free ‘oman, en he wuz ‘feard she’d cunjuh him. En wi’les Mars’ Dugal’ say he didn’ b’liebe in cunj’in’ en sich, he ‘peared ter ‘low it wuz bes’ ter be on de safe side, en let Aun’ Peggy alone.

 

“So Mars’ Dugal’ done des ez he say. Ef ole mis’ had ple’d fer Jeff he mought ‘a’ kep’ ‘im. But ole mis’ hadn’ got ober losin’

dem bulbs yit, en she nebber said a wud. Mars’ Dugal’ tuk Jeff ter town nex’ day en’ sol’ ‘im ter a spekilater, who sta’ted down de ribber wid ‘im nex’ mawnin’ on a steamboat, fer ter take ‘im ter Alabama.

 

“Now, w’en Chloe tol’ ole Mars’ Dugal’ ‘bout dis yer baby-doll en dis udder goopher, she hadn’ ha’dly ‘lowed Mars’ Dugal’ would sell Jeff down Souf. Howsomeber, she wuz so mad wid Jeff dat she ‘suaded herse’f she didn’ keer; en so she hilt her head up en went roun’ lookin’ lak she wuz rale glad ‘bout it. But one day she wuz walkin’ down de road, w’en who sh’d come ‘long but dis yer Hannibal.

 

“W’en Hannibal seed ‘er he bus’ out laffin’ fittin’ fer ter kill: ‘Yah, yah, yah! ho, ho, ho! ha, ha, ha! Oh, hol’ me, honey, hol’

me, er I’ll laf myse’f ter def. I ain’ nebber laf’ so much sence I be’n bawn.’

 

“‘W’at you laffin’ at, Hot-Foot?’

 

“‘Yah, yah, yah! W’at I laffin’ at? W’y, I’s laffin’ at myse’f, tooby sho’,—laffin’ ter think w’at a fine ‘oman I made.’

 

“Chloe tu’nt pale, en her hea’t come up in her mouf.

 

“‘W’at you mean, nigger?’ sez she, ketchin’ holt er a bush by de road fer ter stiddy herse’f. ‘W’at you mean by de kin’ er ‘oman you made?’

 

“W’at do I mean? I means dat I got squared up wid you fer treatin’ me de way you done, en I got eben wid dat yaller nigger Jeff fer cuttin’ me out. Now, he’s gwine ter know w’at it is ter eat co’n bread en merlasses once mo’, en wuk fum daylight ter da’k, en ter hab a oberseah dribin’ ‘im fum one day’s een’ ter de udder. I means dat I sont wud ter Jeff dat Sunday dat you wuz gwine ter be ober ter Mars’ Marrabo’s visitin’ dat ebenin’, en you want i’m ter meet you down by de crick on de way home en go de rest er de road wid you. En den I put on a frock en a sun-bonnet en fix’ myse’f up ter look lak a ‘oman; en w’en Jeff seed me comin’ he run ter meet me, en you seed ‘im,—fer I had be’n watchin’ in de bushes befo’ en ‘skivered you comin’ down de road.

En now I reckon you en Jeff bofe knows w’at it means ter mess wid a nigger lak me.’

 

“Po’ Chloe hadn’ heared mo’ d’n half er de las’ part er w’at Hannibal said, but she had heared ‘nuff to l’arn dat dis nigger had fooler her en Jeff, en dat po’ Jeff hadn’ done nuffin’, en dat fer lovin’ her too much en goin’ ter meet her she had cause’ ‘im ter be sol’ erway whar she’d nebber, nebber see ‘im no mo’. De sun mought shine by day, de moon by night, de flowers mought bloom, en de mawkin’-birds mought sing, but po’ Jeff wuz done los’

ter her fereber en fereber.

 

“Hannibal hadn’ mo’ d’n finish’ w’at he had ter say, w’en Chloe’s knees gun ‘way unner her, en she fell down in de road, en lay dere half a’ hour er so befo’ she come to. W’en she did, she crep’ up ter de house des ez pale ez a ghos’. En fer a mont’ er so she crawled roun’ de house, en ‘peared ter be so po’ly dat Mars’

Dugal’ sont fer a doctor; en de doctor kep’ on axin’ her questions ‘tel he foun’ she wuz des pinin’ erway fer Jeff.

 

“W’en he tol’ Mars’ Dugal’, Mars’ Dugal’ lafft, en said he’d fix dat. She could hab de noo house boy fer a husban’. But ole mis’

say, no, Chloe ain’ dat kinder gal, en dat Mars’ Dugal’ should buy Jeff back.

 

“So Mars’ Dugal’ writ a letter ter dis yer spekilater down ter Wim’l’ton, en tol’ ef he ain’ done sol’ dat nigger Souf w’at he bought fum ‘im, he’d lak ter buy ‘m back ag’in. Chloe ‘mence’ ter pick up a little w’en ole mis’ tol’ her ‘bout dis letter.

Howsomeber, bimeby Mars’ Dugal’ got a’ answer fum de spekilater, who said he wuz monst’us sorry, but Jeff had fell ove’boa’d er jumped off’n de steamboat on de way ter Wim’l’ton, en got drownded, en co’se he couldn’ sell ‘im back, much ez he’d lak ter ‘bleedge Mars’ Dugal’.

 

“Well, atter Chloe heared dis she pu’tended ter do her wuk, en ole mis’ wa’n’t much mo’ use ter nobody. She put up wid her, en hed de doctor gib her medicine, en let ‘er go ter de circus, en all so’ts er things fer ter take her min’ off’n her troubles. But dey didn’ none un ‘em do no good. Chloe got ter slippin’ down here in de ebenin’ des lak she ‘uz comin’ ter meet Jeff, en she’d set dere unner dat willer tree on de udder side, en wait fer ‘im, night atter night. Bimeby she got so bad de w’ite folks sont her ober ter young Mis’ Ma’g’ret’s fer ter gib her a change; but she runned erway de fus’ night, en w’en dey looked fer ‘er nex’ mawnin’ dey foun’ her co’pse layin’ in de branch yander, right ‘cross fum whar we’re settin’ now.

 

“Eber sence den,” said Julius in conclusion, “Chloe’s ha’nt comes eve’y ebenin’ en sets down unner dat willer tree en waits fer Jeff, er e’se walks up en down de road yander, lookin’ en lookin’, en’ [sic] waitin’ en waitin’, fer her sweethea’t w’at ain’ nebber, nebber come back ter her no mo’.”

 

There was silence when the old man had finished, and I am sure I saw a tear in my wife’s eye, and more than one in Mabel’s.

 

“I think, Julius,” said my wife after a moment, “that you may turn the mare around and go by the long road.”

 

The old man obeyed with alacrity, and I noticed no reluctance on the mare’s part.

 

“You are not afraid of Chloe’s haunt, are you?” I asked jocularly.

 

My mood was not responded to, and neither of the ladies smiled.

 

“Oh no,” said Annie, “but I’ve changed my mind. I prefer the other route.”

 

When we had reached the main road and had proceeded along it for a short distance, we met a cart driven by a young negro, and on the cart were a trunk and a valise. We recognized the man as Malcolm Murchison’s servant, and drew up a moment to speak to him.

 

“Who’s going away, Marshall?” I inquired.

 

“Young Mistah Ma’colm gwine ‘way on de boat ter Noo Yo’k dis ebenin’, suh, en I’m takin’ his things down ter de wharf, suh.”

 

This was news to me, and I heard it with regret. My wife looked sorry, too, and I could see that Mabel was trying hard to hide her concern.

 

“He’s comin’ ‘long behin’, suh, en I ‘spec’s you’ll meet ‘im up de road a piece. He’s gwine ter walk down ez fur ez Mistah Jim Williams’s, en take de buggy fum dere ter town. He ‘spec’s ter be gone a long time, suh, en say prob’ly he ain’ nebber comin’ back.”

 

The man drove on. There were a few words exchanged in an undertone between my wife and Mabel, which I did not catch. Then Annie said: “Julius, you may stop the rockaway a moment. There are some trumpet-flowers by the road there that I want. Will you get them for me, John?”

 

I sprang into the underbrush, and soon returned with a great bunch of scarlet blossoms.

 

“Where is Mabel?” I