CHAPTER XVI. MILLY'S STORY.

theshouldgotodereg'larworkanddatarwasdetimeIfeltfeared.Missishadanoverseer,andhewasrealaggravating,andIfeltfeareddere'dbetroubleandsureenoughderewas,too.Derewasalwayssomethin'brewing'tweenhimandAlfredandhewasalwaysrunningtomissiswithtales,andIwastalkingtoAlfred.But'pearedlikeheaggravateddeboyso,dathecouldn'tdoright.Well,oneday,whenIhadbeenuptotownforanerrand,Icomehomeatnight,andIwonderedAlfreddidn'tcomehometohissupper.IthoughtsomethingwaswrongandIwenttodehouse,andderesatMissHarritbyatablecoveredwithrollsofmoney,anddereshewasacountingit. "'MissHarrit,'saysI,'Ican'tfindAlfred.An'tyouseenhim?'saysI. "Atfirstshedidn'tanswer,butwentoncounting—fifty-one,fifty-two,fifty-three.FinallyIspokeagain. "'Ihopetherean'tnothinghappenedtoAlfred,MissHarrit?' "Shelookedup,andsaysshetome,— "'Milly,'saysshe,'defactis,Alfredhasgottoomuchformetomanage,andIhadagreatdealofmoneyofferedforhimandIsoldhim.' "Ifeltsomethingstrongcomingupinmythroat,andIjustwentupandtookholdofhershoulders,andsaidI,— "'MissHarrit,youtookdemoneyforthirteenofmychil'en,andyoupromisedme,sureenough,Ishouldhavedisyerone.YoucalldatbeingaChristian?'saysI. "'Why,'saysshe,'Milly,hean'tagreatwayoffyoucanseehimaboutasmuch.It'sonlyovertoMr.Jones'splantation.Youcangoandseehim,andhecancomeandseeyou.Andyouknowyoudidn'tlikethemanwhohadthecareofhimhere,andthoughthewasalwaysgettinghimintotrouble.' "'MissHarrit,'saysI,'youmaycheatyourselfsayingdemthingsbutyoudon'tcheatme,nordeLordneither.Youfolkshavedesayallonyourside,withyourministerspreachingusdownoutofdeBibleyouwon'tteachustoread.ButI'mgoingstraighttodeLordwithdisyercase.Itellyou,ifdeLordistobefound,I'llfindhimandI'llaskhimtolookon't,—dewayyou'vebeentreatingme,—sellingmychil'en,alldeway'long,topayforyourchil'en,andnowbreakingyourwordtome,andtakingdisyerboy,delastdropofbloodinmyheart!I'llpraydeLordtocurseeverycentofdatarmoneytoyouandyourchil'en!' "DatarwasdewayIspoketoher,child.Iwaspoor,ignorantcretur,anddidn'tknowGod,andmyheartwaslikeared-hotcoal.Iturnedandwalkedrightstraightoutfromher.Ididn'tspeaknomoretoher,andshedidn'tspeaknomoretome.AndwhenIwenttobedatnight,dar,sure'nough,wasAlfred'sbedindecorner,andhisSundaycoathangingupoverit,andhisSundayshoesIhadboughtforhimwithmyownmoney'causehewasahandsomeboy,andIwantedhimalwaystolooknice.Well,so,comeSundaymorning,Itookhiscoatandhisshoes,andmadeabundleof'em,andItookmystick,andsaysI,'I'lljustgoevertoJones'splaceandseewhathas'comeofAlfred.'Alldetime,Ihadn'tsaidawordtomissis,norshetome.Well,Igotabouthalf-wayovertodeplace,anddereIstoppedunderabighickory-treetorestmeabit,andIlookedalongandseedsomeoneacomingandprettysoonIknoweditwasHuldah.ShewasonethatmarriedPaul'scousin,andshelivedonJones'splace.AndsoIgotupandwenttomeether,andtoldherIwasgoingovertosee'boutAlfred. "'Lord!'saysshe,'Milly,haven'tyouhearddatAlfred'sdead?' "Well,MissNina,itseemedasifmyheartandeverythinginitstoppedstill.AndsaidI,'Huldah,hasdeykilledhim?' "Andsaidshe,'Yes.'Andshetoldmeitwasdisyerway:DatStiles—hedatwasJones'soverseer—hadhearddatAlfredwasdreadfulspirityandwhenboysisso,sometimesdeyaggravates'emtoget'emriled,anddendeywhips'emtobreak'emin.SoStiles,whenhewaslayingoffAlfred'stask,wasrealaggravatingtohimanddatboy—well,heansweredback,justasheallerswouldbedoing,'causehewassmart,andit'pearedlikehecouldn'tkeepitin.Anddendeyalllaughedrounddere,anddenStileswasmad,andsworehe'dwhiphimanddenAlfred,hecutandrun.AnddenStileshesworeawfulathim,andhetoldhimto'comehere,andhe'dgivehimhell,andpayhimdecash.'Demisdeverywordshesaidtomyboy.AndAlfredsaidhewouldn'tcomebackhewasn'tgoingtobewhipped.AndjustdenyoungMasterBillcomealong,andwantedtoknowwhatwasdematter.SoStilestoldhim,andhetookouthispistol,andsaid,'Here,youngdog,ifyoudon'tcomebackbeforeIcountfive,I'llfire!' "'Fireahead!'saysAlfred'cause,yousee,datboyneverknowedwhatfearwas.Andsohefired.AndHuldahsaidhejustjumpedupandgiveonescream,andfellflat.Anddeyrunuptohim,andhewasdead'causeyousee,debulletwentrightthroughhisheart.Well,deytookoffhisjacketandlooked,butitwan'tofnousehisfacesettleddownstill.AndHuldahsaiddatdeyjustdugaholeandputhimin.Nothingonhim—nothingroundhim—nocoffinlikehe'dbeenadog.Huldahshowedmedejacket.Derewasdehole,cutrightroundinit,likeitwasstamped,andhisbloodrunningoutonit.Ididn'tsayaword.Itookupdejacket,andwrappeditupwithhisSundayclothes,andIwalkedstraight—straighthome.Iwalkedupintomissis'room,andshewasdressedforchurch,sureenough,andsatderereadingherBible.Ilaiditrightdownunderherface,datjacket.'Youseedathole!'saidI'youseedatblood!Alfred'skilled!Youkilledhimhisbloodbeonyouandyourchil'en!OLordGodinheaven,hearme,andrenderuntoherdouble!'" Ninadrewinherbreathhard,withaninstinctiveshudder.Millyhaddrawnherselfup,inthevehemenceofhernarration,andsatleaningforward,herblackeyesdilated,herstrongarmsclenchedbeforeher,andherpowerfulframeexpandingandworkingwiththeviolenceofheremotion.Shemighthavelooked,toonewithmythologicalassociations,likethefigureofablackmarbleNemesisinatranceofwrath.Shesatsoforafewminutes,andthenhermusclesrelaxed,hereyesgraduallysoftenedshelookedtenderly,butsolemnly,downonNina."Demwasawfulwords,chilebutIwasinEgyptden.IwaswanderingindewildernessofSinai.Ihadhearddesoundofdetrumpet,anddevoiceofwordsbut,chile,Ihadn'tseendeLord.Well—Iwentout,andIdidn'tspeaknomoretoMissHarrit.Derewasagreatgulffixed'tweenusandderedidn'tnowordspassoverit.Ididm