"'The horses are being sold across the way at that biggest barn,' she
says.
"'Yes'm,' I says, 'I've just come from there. I--'
"'Have you been watching the sale?' she says, breakin' in.
"'Yes'm--some,' I says.
"'Liza, you may go to your kitchen now,' she says. 'Can you tell me if
they have sold the mare, Mary Goodloe, yet?' she says to me when the
nigger woman's gone.
"'Yes'm, she was sold,' I says.
"She flinches like I'd hit her 'n' I see her chin begin to quiver, but
she bites her lip 'n' I looks off down the road to give her a chance.
Pretty soon she's back fur more. I'm feelin' like a hound.
"'Do you know who bought her?' she says.
"'A nigger man they call Uncle Jake buys her,' I says.
"'Uncle Jake!' she says. 'Are you sure? Was he an old man with poor
eyesight?'
"'He was old all right,' I says. 'But I don't notice about his eyes.
He give twenty dollars fur her.'
"'Is that all she brought?' she says.
"'Well, she brings more,' I says, 'only the ole man makes a speech 'n'
tells 'em he's buying her fur you. Everybody quit biddin' then.' She
stands there a minute, her eyes gettin' bigger 'n' bigger. I never see
eyes so big 'n' soft 'n' dark.
"'Would you do me a favor?' she says at last.
"'Fifty of 'em,' I says. She gives me a little smile.
"'One's all that's necessary, thank you,' she says. 'Will you find
Uncle Jake for me and tell him I wish to see him?'
"'You bet I will,' I says, 'n' I beats it over to the barns.
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