“An’ Chester was already gone away?” Felo wanted to know.
“Who?” Lizzie laughed, pleased with the remembrance of her little stratagem. Chester was right there in the kitchen, down on his knees, she went on to relate; close enough for the man to hear the sound of the scrubbin’-brush swishin’ up an’ down the kitchen flo’, right behind where she was standin’ in the door-way.
“But soon as de man shet de gate an’ went away, I say: Chester, put dat scrubbin’-brush an’ bucket out yo’ han’s, an’ git up from hyuh an’ pack yo’ clo’se quick as you kin git ’um together.... You gotta go ’way from hyuh tonight,—an’ not a word from you.... Hyuh come another death done layed at you do’. So you ain’ got a thing to do, but hurry ’way from dis place, an’ stay ’way from hyuh till all dis commotion pass over an’ times come to be natchal again.... ’Cause you know, I’m goin’ yonder to Lafoosh to de grindin’; an’ you ain’ got strank enough to fight all dese Gritny w’ite folks w’en dey commence pickin’ on you, an’ Lizzie ain’ hyuh to puhteck you.... So git together all yo’ few l’il scat’rin rags; ’cause I wan’ see you leave dis house tonight, soon’s it git dark....”
“An’ you made ’im go ’way?” Felo interrupted.
“Who? Chester ain’ no fool,” she answered. “Chester know too good, how he gotta listen w’en Lizzie lay down de law an’ preach ’im somh’n cuncernin’ of ’is welfare.... Yas indeed, he went away,” she continued. “Went away wid ’is li’l bundle und’ ’is arm, quick as I could git yonder to de boat landin’ on de Basin, an’ make ’rangements wid de man on de charcoal lugger to take Chester ’long wid ’im to do de cookin’ on de trip over.”
“So da’s w’at Chester goin’ do now? Go back to cookin’ on de charcoal luggers for de winter?” Felo inquired.
“I ain’ told you Chester was goin’ stay on no charcoal lugger all winter,” Lizzie informed him sharply.
“Den whah Chester gone?” Felo demanded.
“To furren parts,” Lizzie replied with tantalizing artfulness.
Felo looked at her with a scowl of displeasure, feeling that she meant to withhold something important from him. What made her act so tight-mouth, and try to keep things so secret? He asked with impatience. Did she have to hide things like that from close friends like him and Lethe?... Didn’t she know that both of them would be ready to stand by Chester if he got into any trouble with the white folks?... What ailed her, anyway?