"Well, I can't he'p it. I can't spen' all de bes' pa't o' my life down hyeah where dey ain' no 'vantages." "I reckon dey's 'vantages everywhah fu' anybody dat wants to wu'k." "Yes, but what kin' o' wages does yo' git? Why, de Johnsons say dey had a lettah f'om Miss Smiff an' dey's gettin' 'long fine in de Nawth." "De Johnsons ain' gwine?" "Si Johnson is--" Then the woman stopped suddenly. "Oh, hit's Si Johnson? Huh!" "He ain' goin' wid me. He's jes' goin' to see dat I git sta'ted right aftah I git thaih." "Hit's Si Johnson?" he repeated. "'Tain't," said the woman. "Hit's freedom." Ben got up and went out of the cabin. "Men's so 'spicious," she said. "I ain' goin' Nawth 'cause Si's a-goin'--I ain't." When Mr. Raymond found out how matters were really going he went to Ben where he was at work in the field. "Now, look here, Ben," he said. "You're one of the best hands on my place and I'd be sorry to lose you. I never did believe in this buying business from the first, but you were so bent on it that I gave in. But before I'll see her cheat you out of your money I'll give you your free papers now. You can go North with her and you can pay me back when you find work." "No," replied Ben doggedly. "Ef she cain't wait fu' me she don' want me, an' I won't roller her erroun' an' be in de way." "You're a fool!" said his master. "I loves huh," said the slave. And so this plan came to naught. Then came the night on which Viney was getting together her belongings. Ben sat in a corner of the cabin silent, his head bowed in his hands. Every once in a while the woman cast a half-frightened glance at him. He had never once tried to oppose her with force, though she saw that grief had worn lines into his face. The door opened and Si Johnson came in. He had just dropped in to see if everything was all right. He was not to go for a week. "Let me look at yo' free papahs," he said, for Si could read and liked to show off his accomplishment at every opportunity. He stumbled through the formal document to the end, reading at the last: "This is a present from Ben to his beloved wife, Viney." She held out her hand for the paper. When Si was gone she sat gazing at it, trying in her ignorance to pick from the, to her, senseless scrawl those last words. Ben had not raised his head.