“I expect you will marry some pretty girl, and almost forget your old Mama who will be getting grey.” “But I’ll never love anybody like I love you, Mama dear!” His little arms slipped around her neck, held her close for a moment, and then he tenderly kissed her. After supper he sought Nelse. “Nelse, we must work out the flowers in the lawn. Mama wants to see them. It was all I could do to keep her from going out there to-day.” “Lawd chile, hit’ll take two niggers er week ter clean out dat lawn. Hits gone fur dis year. Yer Ma’ll know dat, honey.” The next morning after breakfast the boy found a hoe, and in the piercing sun began manfully to work at those flowers. He had worked perhaps, a half hour. His face was red with heat and wet with sweat. He was tired already and seemed to make no impression on the wilderness of weeds and grass. Suddenly he looked up and saw his mother smiling at him. “Come here, Charlie!” she called. He dropped his hoe and hurried to her side. She caught him in her arms and kissed the sweat drops from his eyes and mouth. “You are the sweetest boy in the world!” What music to his soul these words to the last day of his life! “I was afraid when you saw all these weeds you would cry about your flowers, Mama.” “It does hurt me, dear, to see them, but it’s worth all their loss to see you out there in the broiling sun working so hard to please me. I’ve seen the most beautiful flower this morning that ever blossomed on my lawn!--and its perfume will make sweet my whole life. I am going to be brave and live for you now.” And she kissed him fondly again. CHAPTER VIII--AN EXPERIMENT IN MATRIMONY NELSE was informed by the Agent of the Freedman’s Bureau when summoned before that tribunal that he must pay a fee of one dollar for a marriage license and be married over again. “What’s dat? Dis yer war bust up me en Eve’s marryin’?” “Yes,” said the Agent. “You must be legally married.” Nelse chucked on a brilliant scheme that flashed through his mind. “Den I see you ergin ’bout dat,” he said as he hastily took his leave. He made his way homeward revolving his brilliant scheme. “But won’t I fetch dat nigger Eve down er peg er two! I gwine ter make her t’ink I won’ marry her nohow. I make’er ax my pardon fur all dem little disergreements. She got ter talk mighty putty now sho nuf!” And he smiled over his coming triumph. It was four o’clock in the afternoon when he reached his cabin door on the lot back of Mrs. Gaston’s home. Eve was busy mending some clothes for their little boy now nearly five years old. “Good evenin’, Miss Eve!” Eve looked up at him with a sudden flash of her eye. “What de matter wid you nigger?” “Nuttin’ tall. Des drapped in lak ter pass de time er day, en ax how’s you en yer son stallin’ dis hot wedder!” Nelse bowed and smiled. “What ail you, you big black baboon?” “Nuttin’ tall M’am, des callin’ roun’ ter see my frien’s.” Still smiling Nelse walked in and sat down.