The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-09

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She herself chartered perpetuRllY. ]
there was no one else to talk TO, she woult
: talk to q servant, as she was doing now
She retailed the compliments thar ha'
been paid her; how MI. So-and.so hal
praised her arms, and Mr.. Such.a.One he
diamonds. II was all exciting and delight
fnl. Dorothea listened with inwardd dis
gust. But the smile she summoned u
did duty admirably. Miss Sue classed he
among her admirers. But when Miss SUI
was safely put to bed, DOrothea vents wal
10 her own attic room and ragged. She laN
; down on the floor, aud cried, and sObbcd
She knelt by the open window, ant
stretched forth hands Of supplication int
the darkness. She roalned up and dowr
ller attic until dawn. She made very little
effort to control herself. Perhaps Il wa
Us well. Day in, and day out, she was
forced to keep herself under rigid control
before people. She slept heavily when
she did sleep-so heavily that It was with
difficulty she aroused herself when hOl
mistress finally sent for her. Miss Sue and
a party Of her friends were going on n
horseback expedition before the heat Of
the day. DOr0thea dressed her mistress,
pale and heavy.eyed as she was, then stole
back to bed again.
She was Sgain awakened, this time
about noon, and by u message from
Colonel Floyd. She found him in the
library, and who but Aaron with him.
Colonel Floyd was q middle.aged comfort
~ahle.loOking man. He nodded 10 Dorothea
as she entered.
"Whats this | hear? Want to be free,
eh? What makes you disconnected? 1
don't believe any girl ever had a better
mistress"
81 don't complain; 1 never have COM
planned. But | do want to be Free"
sand here Is Aaron with the money 10
do tt-all but twenty dollars. lie pro.
poses that you shall 90 now up North
somewhere-where you'll find yourself a
prescious sight worse of than you are
lere-and that | shall take q mortgage on
all his worldly goods for the rest. / don't
know why | houd do this; do you? Come,
what do you think about it yoursclf?"
For answer she dropped down on her
knees, and with q broken voice n:ged him
to let her go. She was singularly beauti-
tul, and as white as her master. It would
have been hard TO detect the few drops Of
African blood that flowed in her veins.
Colonel Floyd knew not how to take
this 0utburst. He cleared his throat, He
felt that no ought to be angry; but he was
naturally an eaSy.going man; besides, the
glrl was so a~stonishingly good-looking.
Finally hesatd. "Well, well, I'll see about
il: lsnPpose ! shall have to ask Mrs.
Floyd first, as | gave you to her. You can
go now, Aaroni I'll see you again"
There may have been something in the
way Colonel Floyd told his story which
%reconciled his wife to the plan proposed.
There are women who are Jealous Of any
face they have heard some one pronounce
handsome, OF any voice they have heard
praised; and when Colonel Floyd praised
Dora's face and voice, Miss Sue decided
that she would rather part with her than
not. "Ungratetul pieCe!" she said; latter
all my kindness to her. But darkies are
all alike"
So it was arranged. IncomprehensibIe
and incredible as Dorothea's good fortune
appeared 10 her, she nevertheless accented
1t as a fact. Miss Sue sped her going.
She had always been in the habit Of civ.
ing. She gave OrOtheanumbers Of things
now, enough to supply adecent wardrobe.
There are some persons who compel giving
TO q certain extent-persons who are sci
apart by beauty or talent. Dorothea was
one OF these. There were expressions in
her dark eyes and about her red mouth
which irresistibly disposed Mrs. FLOYD 10
befriend her.
Do not quite mistake Dorothea, how
ever. She had accepted Aaron's help be-.
cause 1t was her n way OF escape from
bondage; but she had promised herself
that she would discharge the debt. She
had every confidence in her ability TO do
so. This confidence gave her manner a
certain distance and pride even when &C.
knowledging her Indebtedness to her bene.
factor; tor bencfaCtor, OF course, Aaron
was. She paid a visit to his mother in
their little cabin the day before she left,
Aaron had supplied her with money to
reach Philadelphia, which was her desti.
nation, and also to pay her board for a fort.
night after arrtvingthere This exhausted
his resources, TO be sure, but it more than
met DOrothea's wishes. She was convinced
that she could find employment for her.
self at the end Of 4 week; ut the end Of a
month she could begin to pay Aaron back.
Aaron's mother was a bright.eyed, erect,
active mulatto woman. She went OH with
her ironing while Dorothea paid her a
visit. She distrUsted Dorothea. To her
she seemed selfish and graaping, and she
believed that Akron had thrown away his
money, and all for nothing. The Girl
never meant to marry him.
a small baby Crawled in and ont Under
the ironing table. 1t Crawlel Up Doro-
thea's skirts presently, growing at her,
This was Aaron's nephew. The grand.
mother shook her head ut it, laughing.
"pc chile take you fur white, Dora"
she said. "Nebber takes no'count oh cul.
lud people, Take you fur white, sure.
Lubs white ladies'"
Dorothea paIted its little woOlIy head
with her slender fingers. The child look
ed up and smiled, and Dora smiled her
pensive, tender smile upon it in return.
At that iunCturG Aaron came in. Doro-
thea shook hands with him gravely. That
visit was a trying farewell duty. How
homely the place was! The baby with its
calico slip; the old woman ironing; Aaron
with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows,
How odd it was that Aaron should ever
have h0rtd eve that she would marry
him! She live in such a way as that!
"Dis stove draws awful bad" said the
old woman. Cant heat my irons nohow.
Wish you cud make out ter get de ole
CONAN a new I'm, Aaron"
"Wish ] could, mother Never mind.
though. My ship II come some day.
Seems like yer ship comes and goes,
and nebber has muffin on board fur de ole
CONAN" complained Aunt Rachel, think.
ing Of Dorothea. "Well, well"- changing
the metaphor-"de Lor's table is spread
fur all; dere is fat, and dere is lean. De
mos on us gifts de lean; but praise de Lor'
fur ALL"
~ must 60" said Dorothea, rising. az
will send Aaron some money from
Philadelphia, Aunt Rachel, and then you
can get the stove. "Good.by;" and she
kissed both Aunt Rachel and the baby.
"You needn't ha' said that, mother"
Aaron protested, looking aitor DoroLhea as
be pursued her homeward way. HTwGrn't
like you, nanny an she a motherless
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