“Get up, Dilsey,” she said after a moment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you can’t explain, let Sam do it.”
The old colored woman continued to mumble unintelligibly till at last Mrs. May silenced her.
“Now, Sam,” she said, turning to the boy, “what is the trouble?”
Somewhat sullenly Sam found his tongue.
“Ouah Ol’ Miss, she’s aimin’ to sell me down the river to Savannah,” he began, “and Granny, heah, she don’t like it nohow, and I don’t like it nohow neither, so I’s aimin’ to run away up North an’ be free.”
“I don’t believe a word of it,” Mrs. May replied incredulously. “You two go into the kitchen and visit Aunt Decent and dry yourselves. I’ll send you back home. Mrs. Stewart doesn’t sell her servants. It’s absurd.”
“Ouah Ol’ Miss done sold Casper and Manders to a man from Macon no later’n yestehday, Miss ’Thenia,” Sam insisted doggedly. “They’re done gone a’ready. If I’s done got to go away from Granny I’s goin’ No’th whehe I’ll be free—less’n the houn’s catch me first.”
Dorothea had watched her aunt’s face grow graver and graver as she heard these words.
“I cannot believe what you are saying, Sam,” she replied, though her tone was not so positive now. “How could it have happened? Have the boys been stealing or disobedient?”
“No’m,” the lad answered readily. “This man from Macon, he wanted carpenters, and he was ready to pay for ’em in gold, Miss ’Thenia. So ouah Ol’ Miss she done sol’ ’em, that’s all.”