Part 18 (1/2)

”Dat's. .h.i.t!” said Dilsey. ”Now yer talkin', Miss Dumps; dat's er mean wite man, an' he mighter git mad erlong us, an' take us all fur his n.i.g.g.e.rs.”

”But we ain't black, Diddie an' me,” said Dumps.

”Dat don't make no diffunce ter him; he des soon hab wite n.i.g.g.e.rs ez black uns,” remarked Dilsey, consolingly; and Dumps, being now thoroughly frightened, said,

”Well, I'm er goin' ter put my pen'ence in de Lord. I'm er goin' ter pray.”

Diddie and Dilsey thought this a wise move, and, the three children kneeling down, Dumps began,

”Now, I lay me down to sleep.”

And just at this moment Mr. Smith, returning from the field, was surprised to hear a voice proceeding from the house, and, stepping lightly to the window, beheld, to his amazement, the three children on their knees, with their eyes tightly closed and their hands clasped, while Dumps was saying, with great fervor,

”If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take; An' this I ask for Jesus' sake.”

”Amen!” reverently responded Diddie and Dilsey; and they all rose from their knees much comforted.

”I ain't 'fraid uv him now,” said Dumps, ”'cause I b'lieve the Lord'll he'p us, an' not let Mr. Tight-fis' Smith git us.”

”I b'lieve so too,” said Diddie; and, turning to the window, she found Mr. Smith watching them.

”Are you Mr. Tight-fis' Smith?” asked Diddie, timidly.

”I am Mr. Smith, and I have heard that I am called '_tight_-fisted' in the neighborhood,” he replied, with a smile.

”Well, we are Major Waldron's little girls, Diddie and Dumps, an' this is my maid, Dilsey, an' we've come ter see yer on business.”

”On business, eh?” replied Mr. Smith, stepping in at the low window.

”Well, what's the business, little ones?” and he took a seat on the side of the bed, and regarded them curiously. But here Diddie stopped, for she felt it was a delicate matter to speak to this genial, pleasant-faced old man of cruelty to his own slaves. Dumps, however, was troubled with no such scruples; and, finding that Mr. Smith was not so terrible as she had feared, she approached him boldly, and, standing by his side, she laid one hand on his gray head, and said:

”Mr. Smith, we've come ter beg you please not ter whup Uncle Pomp if he comes back. He is runned erway, an' me an' Diddie know where he is, an'

we've ben feedin' him, an' we don't want you ter whup him; will you please don't?” and Dumps's arm slipped down from the old man's head, until it rested around his neck; and Mr. Smith, looking into her eager, childish face, and seeing the blue eyes filled with tears, thought of the little faces that long years ago had looked up to his; and, bending his head, he kissed the rosy mouth.

”You won't whup him, will you?” urged Dumps.

”Don't you think he ought to be punished for running away and staying all this time, when I needed him in the crop?” asked Mr. Smith, gently.

”But, indeed, he _is_ punished,” said Diddie; ”he was almost starved to death when me and Dumps carried him the picnic; and then he is so scared, he's been punished, Mr. Smith; so please let him come home, and don't whup him.”

”Yes, PLE-EE-ASE promise,” said Dumps, tightening her hold on his neck; and Mr. Smith, in memory of the little arms that once clung round him, and the little fingers that in other days clasped his, said:

”Well, I'll promise, little ones. Pomp may come home, and I'll not whip or punish him in any way;” and then he kissed them both, and said they must have a lunch with him, and then he would take them home and bring Pomp back; for he was astonished to learn that they had walked so long a distance, and would not hear of their walking back, though Diddie persisted that they must go, as they had stolen off, and n.o.body knew where they were.

He made the cook bake them some hot corn hoe-cakes and boil them some eggs; and while she was fixing it, and getting the fresh b.u.t.ter and b.u.t.termilk to add to the meal, Mr. Smith took them to the June apple-tree, and gave them just as many red apples as they wanted to eat, and some to take home to Tot. And Dumps told him all about ”Old Billy”

and Cherubim and Seraphim, and the old man laughed, and enjoyed it all, for he had no relatives or friends, and lived entirely alone--a stern, cold man, whose life had been embittered by the sudden loss of his loved ones, and it had been many weary years since he had heard children's voices chatting and laughing under the apple-tree.

After the lunch, which his guests enjoyed very much, Mr. Smith had a little donkey brought out for Dilsey to ride, and, taking Diddie behind him on his horse, and Dumps in his arms, he started with them for home.