The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-03-30

Her land belonging really to the specu-
lator. ! heard nothingof it from Joe
and concludedit was mere rumor.
Joe came to me one morning looking
uncommonly pleased and said: "Marse
Hinry, dat law. mahter done settle.
Henrietta she Ok hit She lowed 4
dunno nothin' t all bout hit, an She
lowed she'd ten ter hit herself. Hen
r'etta smart CONAN! Hyar de doky-
mint. She done gil t ter me an low
es how yo' moutfsplapify hit tef me!'
He drew d paperfrom his pocket. Il
glanced over it carelessly; then, with
surprise growing into horror, -read It
through twice before could grasp tho
iniquity of its purport e
1t was the contract for the sale of q
slave, one Joe Willis, registered slave
of his wife, the free negress, Henrietta
Willis; said slave to be delivered in
thirty days from date; said Henrietta
Willis to receive in payment a clear
title to land now occupied, etc, etc,
1t was duly signed and sworn. Joe's
placid face confirmed my suspicion. He
knew nothing of the transaction the
paper ratified. When made him under
stand he laughed. - asiei - aes
"Marster, Henrietta jes' foolin' wild
we-alls; dat dolzymint amt nothin' tall
'cept a fool! Henrietta sprightly CONAN,
allus foolin' somebody. low I'll fin
her an show her she amt fool me-
But in spite of his words his face was
gray, his hands were clenched, and his
breath came labored. / went with him
| to find Henrietta. M ai.s efss
She was sewing at the window as we
went to the house. She dropped her
work with start at sight of US; then
she took it up and sewed steadily, her
face as hard as flint. l knew there was
no hope. Joe saw it. too. =
He walked up to her, the paper in his
hand.
Say he exclaimed, dds yere paper
air q lier' .,.4
She sewed on, and neither looked up
nor spoke. ra.s
He snatched the work from her.
Don't fool wild me, ooman! Say dis
we're air a lie! Say it, Henrietta, TO-
| Gods sake say hit!r s rs
She stood up, pulled the dead leaves
off the dead geranium Haunting in the
window, fecked the dust off the sill,
looked at him silently and stolidly a
moment. Then she spoke: r
"Ef yo' want sich slow fool you'd
know amt gwine STAN as mistiss to
no slave widout ! gwine sell dat niger
when gifts ready. Hit faint no lie in
dat paper. done sell yo' ease it suit
me-"
| Dumb with rage, Joe sprang at her
and struck her full in the face; she
dropped at his feet, stunned or dead.
He stood over her, his body vibrating
and quivering, his arms swaying, his
hands clenching and loosing tremulous-
ly; in his convulsed face the fury of a
wild beast-a soufs despair. Aa 3e1
81 done shet yo' mouf up!" he gasped.
"Free, is you? Free? Flow you never
gwinc say free no mo-! gwine be
joyful de day dey puts yo' in de groundl
How come ever sot eyes on yo'? How
come dat passon say what God hev fined
| shell no man set insunder? Hit air liel
don set hit insunder myself!'
| A wall interrupted him--the child,
terrified into silence till now, began to
cry: ''Mammy! mammy! He done kill
mammy!" ea
His child's voice turned the mans
passion. He took the little one up and
began soothing it. ''Hush, honey-dar
now, honey, hush! hush! Yo' nanny
amt dead! Hush, honey, yo' got yo'
NANNY an yo' pappy-yo' pappy gwine
wuk fo' yo'-"
Then the truth crushing on him, he
broke into sobs. .s
''Oh my Godl yo' got no pappy! She
done sell him.'' 81 Is
He put the child down, and turned
again in fury toward his wife. a
''Sell me! yo' DON sell me, Henrietta?
Sell POI Joe whar wuk ten year for
freedom? Sell me whar love yo' twenty
year? Whar done wux fo' yo', nuss yo',
deny myself fo' yo'! Sell yo' chillun'
daddy? Sell me, whar God hev fined
to your sas
He fell into wild denial of Gods JUS
tice. 'i - i''.slssi'i-
"Would de good God,v he walled.
| low Luc ~ Oil lOf SidFCs NOuid uc
leave dat little Joe, whar cyarnt SO
much es say daddy-leave 'em all an
never see 'em no mo-? He dom know
dat's hit, don know en--don' kear!''
The last words fell slowly and mo-
notonously like knell. Joe walked
feebly to the chimney corner and. sat
down. The glow of anger, love- ten
derness, supplication had burnt ont Of
his face; there was left only ashcn dc
spair. f,s - i,ts.
/ turned and left the house; the WON
an, now moaning on the floor; the chill
dren huddled near her; Joe motionless
in the chimney corner, his head on his
breast, his arms hanging loosely. ~ 80
The next day, and the next, and the
next Joe was still. there, spcechless, mo-
tionless Every morning Henrietta put
a plate of food by him, every night she