Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-09-16
CHAPTER xxxv.

Each had arrived at the standard
price that he had fixed upon at first.
Therefore satisfaction beamed upon
each c~outenance.
The seller was delighted. because he
had made an extra protit-knowIng
full wei that the sum for which he
had sold his victim was so much clear
gain. in addition TO that which he
would receive for abducting heri
And the purchaser was in raptures.
knowing that, if this beautiful girl had
been exposed upon the auction block
at New Orleans, she would have
brought at least three times the price
he had paid for her.
And not knowing that the last thing
on earth this trader captain would
have dared to do. would be to have ex-
posed this freedom lady, with a tongae
in her head. to n public sale in a popl
lOrs city square.
So each had his private reasons for
being extremely well pelased.
And so the poor young victim of the
wicked traffic received ONE OF the
benefits in the form Of kind words.
She still stood. encircled by the sup
porting arms, and with her head re-
Ginning upon the gentle bosom or We
nus.
well. m good .girl-Zora I think
they call you-look up. let me see your
face again, since / have purchased you
from this trader. Come. don't be sui
len! You will not find me a hard mas
ter! Indeed, | am called n really in
dulgent n by all who know me well,
Tut. tut. now. don't be stubborn, look
up"
The tone Of voice was not unkild:
and, wishing TO conciliate this new ar
bitter of her destiny. Astrea raised her
head, and fixed her eyes upon those of
the purchaser with n look so full OF
gentle dignity. profound sorrow and
earnest depreciation. that the man who
encountered it must have been obtuse
indeed, not TO have understood that IL
was the expression OF Il refined, intel
lectual and religious gentlewoman.
Blu Barney Rumford was obtuse.
|. very obtuse. And SO he very dimiy
perceived the meaning of this glance.
He spoke up cheeringly:
That is WE'LL Oh. | know ii must
have been hard for you to leave your
native region of country, and harder
still u part from friends. perhaps
from parents. But cheer up. You
will find a dearer friend than any one
you have lost-in me. your master.
Lord, n month hence! wonder who
will be master and who will be slave
Astrea lowered her eyes and shud-
dered.
Come, cheer up! your duties will
be very light with me; no hard work,
not even house-work: nothing 10 do but
to please your master and give orders
10 h servants. Come, now, the boat
Is waiting. Make up your bundle aud
let US be of, or leave the bundle, IL you
like. 1t does not matter. In three days
| will give you a better outfit thar you
ever had, or even ever saw in your
life"
But Astrea had dropped her head
once more upon the bosom OF Venus.
where 1t continued to rest.
"Ah. some fayorite fellow servant.
Well, I'm a generous old dog. | am!
fooiishly-indulgent, as the neighbors
say. SO. If 1t pains you so much to be
separated. / do not mind IL l buy the
other one. too. Captain, are you will
ing to sell that black diamondY and. IL
so, how much? Mind, don't Jay twice
as much as you mean to take. for you
perceive 1t is getting late, ard we have
no time for 'jewing,'" said Mr.. Rum
ford.
Now 1t happened that the captain
particularly desired to dispose OF his
sable stewardess: first. because he de-.
sired to supply her place with n white
woman; and. secondly. because he was
about 10 sail for England. So. after n
little consideration, the captain said:
rms woman Is not for sale; but. to
oDiige an old customer. | will let you
nave her; and for a moderate price.
TOO. only sixteen hundred dollars"
Bosh. you mean eight" said Mr..
Rumford.
And. as upon the first occasion. they
wrangled over the price, fighting every
men OF the ground until they gradually
approached each other, and fixed upon
an intermediate sum that proved mutu-
ally agreeable.
Ana now. my girls, go and make up
your Mite parcels, and when you come
pacK try to present more agreeable
faces. L nave done something for your
mutual happiness: therefore. show
your sense OF my kindness by your
cheer1uiness. | hate sullen faces
So saying. the purchaser retired with
the trader, to pay the purchase money
anu receive the bills of sale. In these
ueeus Astrea was set down as the mu.
iatto girl Fora, and her faithful com.
paLioh' as the negro woman Venus.
Meanwhile, these two females. So
widely separated by birth and social
rank, SO closely brought together by
misfortune and sympathy, went down
INTO the cabin to make their little pre-
parations for departure.
venus, with the elasticity of her.
race, had already recovered her snir.
It's. She spoke to Astrea in a CHIPPING
tone:
nere, now. what you tell me. hon
eY! Trust In de Lord! l did trust in
PAN: and now you see what's come of
u. we amt to be separated! Us Ia
RWinA IN Dn fnOnthA.t