“Run away?” echoed Mrs. May as if she could scarcely believe her ears. “Nonsense, Aunt Dilsey! You can’t run away. You’re one of the family.” “Yes’m, I is,” the old woman moaned, “but we-all’s jes’ ’bliged to run away, and we knows the patrollers will be out after us. That’s why we-all done come hehe. I’s been mighty proud all my days. I’s always said, ‘Dilsey can tote heh own skillet,’ but please, Ol’ Miss, Dilsey can’t tote no skillet no mo’.” The woman rocked herself with grief and Mrs. May looked down upon her pityingly. “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.” “An’ now she’s aimin’ to sell Sam, too, the onlies’ one of my Dilly’s pickaninnies what I done raise to comfort me. Please, Miss ’Thenia, buy us bofe. We’ll work for you till we drops. Honest we will, and we’ll—” The old woman’s voice trailed off into uncontrollable sobs. “There is certainly some mistake,” Mrs. May said, turning to Dorothea. “Would you mind, dear, fetching April for me.” Dorothea ran off and soon returned with her cousin, to whom the situation was explained at once. “There is some misunderstanding, of course,” Mrs. May ended, “but it is not a matter that can be delayed. It must be settled at once.” “You’d better let me go, mother,” April suggested. “I can’t believe Aunt Cora could possibly do what Aunt Dilsey thinks, and it’s very wet for you.”