“Ole missus am a tryin’ ter make him leab Massa Linkum’s ahmy. I heerd Jeff tell Feliciane dat she was ’suadin’ him awful ha’d. Den too I heare ole missus tell him myself dis mohnin’ when dey sent me fer more wood and didn’t notice pertic’lar dat I had kum back, ole missus say ter him when he done axed fer you, ‘I done know what de mattah wid Jeanne,’ she say. ‘She done seem ter kyar ter see yer. I axed her ter kum dis mohnin’, an’ she say, ‘no, I’m gwine fer a walk.’ Den yer brudder say bery weak like, ‘I can’t understan’ it. I tought she lubed me.’”
“Did he say that?” cried Jeanne. “Oh, Snowball, what can I do? I must see him. Won’t you help me?”
“Yes, missy, I will. Eben ef dey kills me fer it,” declared the girl fervently.
CHAPTER XXVII
A PRISONER OF WAR
“But what can we do, Snowball?” asked Jeanne her voice trembling with emotion. “How can I see him?”
“De missus takes a nap ebery day,” said the darky. “An’ sumtimes she calls me ter set in de room s’posin’ Massa Dick want anything. Sumtimes she tells Feliciane ter do it. We’ll jest wait tell she tells me ter do it, an’ den I’ll let yer in. We’ll hab ter watch sha’p elsen she’ll ketch us.”
“We will,” said Jeanne. “I would not care for myself, but I would not like to get you into trouble.”
“Nebber you mind me, lill’ missy. You’se been moughty good ter me, an’ I’ll stan’ anything ter help yer see yer brudder.”
“Thank you, Snowball,” and Jeanne’s eyes filled with tears at this evidence of affection. “When I can I am going to help you to get back to your mother. I will never forget what you are doing for me.”