"Do you follow dis voman to her house, and she vill give you a pedstead. Bring it down here," and then he added, speaking to the clerk who had not yet left the room: "Vat does te trayman sharge." "One dollar and a half," was the reply. Taking up the forty dollars which had been previously brought to him, Mr. Swartz counted out thirty-eight and a half dollars, and handed them to Mrs. Wentworth. "De von tollar and a half out ish to pay for te trayage," he remarked as she received the money. She made no reply, but left the room followed by the clerk, when, with the drayman, they soon arrived at her room. The bedstead was soon taken down and removed to Mr. Swartz's store. "Sharge one huntred tollars for dat pedstead," he remarked to his clerk as soon as it had arrived. While he was rejoicing at the good speculation he had made, the soldier's wife sat on a box in her room feeding her half famished children. The room was now utterly destitute of furniture, but the heart of the mother rejoiced at the knowledge that for a couple of weeks longer her children would have food. CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. DR. HUMPHRIES BUYS A SLAVE AND BRINGS HOME NEWS. A few days after Mrs. Wentworth had sold her last piece of furniture, Dr. Humphries was walking along one of the principal streets in Jackson when he was stopped by a crowd that had gathered in front of an auction mart. On walking up he learned that it was a sheriff's sale of a "likely young negro girl." Remembering that Emma had requested him to purchase a girl as a waiting maid for her, he examined the slave and found her in all respects the kind of house servant he desired. Going up to the auctioneer who had just mounted a bench for the purpose of selling the slave, he enquired where she had come from. The auctioneer responded by handing the doctor a small hand bill setting forth the sale. After reading it he walked up to the slave and commenced to question her. "What is your name?" he enquired. "Elsy, sir," she replied. "You say that you come from New Orleans," he continued. "Yes, sir," she responded. "What was your master's name?" asked the doctor. "His name is Mr. Alfred Wentworth," the negro answered. "Where is your master now?" he enquired, continuing his questions. "Massa is a prisner in de Yankee army," she replied. "And what made you leave New Orleans?" was the next question. "My missis was turned away from de city, and I runaway from dem Yankees and come here to look for her." "Have you not been able to find your mistress?" asked Dr. Humphries. "No, sir. Jest as I came here de city police took me up and put me in jail." "Excuse me," interrupted the auctioneer, "but I must sell this girl at once. Time is precious, so you must excuse me;" then turning to the crowd he continued: "Here is the slave, gentlemen. She is an intelligent looking negro, says she understands all that appertains to the duties of a house servant. What will you bid for her?"