'Lina laughed aloud, while Hugh replied: "She's mine while I take care of her."
Then, turning to his sister, he asked if she procured what she wanted.
With a threatening frown at Lulu, who had seen and gone into ecstasies
over the rose silk, 'Lina answered that she was fortunate enough to get
just what she wanted, adding quickly: "It's to be a much gayer affair than I supposed. They are invited from
Louisville, and even from Cincinnati, so Mr. Harney says."
"Harney, did you trade there?" Hugh asked.
"Why, yes. It's the largest and best store in town. Why shouldn't I?"
'Lina replied, while Sam, catching at the name, put in: "Hartley's the man what foreclosed the mortgage. You orto hear ole mas'r
cuss him oncet. Sharp chap, dat Harney; mighty hard on de blacks, folks
say," and glad to have escaped from his clutches, Sam turned again to
his dozing reverie, which was broken at last by Hugh's calling Claib,
and bidding him show Sam where he was to sleep.
How long Hugh did sit up that night, and 'Lina, who wanted so much to
see once more just how her rose silk looked by lamplight, thought he
never would take her broad hints and leave. He dreaded to go--dreaded to
exchange that warm, pleasant room for the cold, cheerless chamber above,
where he knew no fire would greet him, for he had told Claib not to make
one, and that was why he lingered as long below. But the ordeal must be
met, and just as the clock was striking eleven, he bade his mother and
sister good-night, whistling as he bounded up the stairs, by way of
keeping up his spirits. How dreary and dark it looked in his room, as
with a feeling akin to homesickness Hugh set his candle down and glanced
at the empty hearth.
"After all, what does it matter?" he said. "I only have to hurry and get
in bed the sooner," and tossing one boot here and another there, he was
about to finish undressing when suddenly he remembered the little Bible,
and the passage read last night. Would there be one for him to-night? He
meant to look and see, and all cold and shivery as he was, Hugh lifted
the lid of the trunk which held his treasure, and taking it out, opened
to the place where the silken curl was lying. There was a great throb at
his heart when he saw that the last coil of the tress lay just over the
words, "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a
cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto you, he
shall in no wise lose his reward."
"It does seem as if this was meant to encourage me," Hugh said, reading
the passage twice. "I don't much believe, though, I bought old Sam in
the name of a disciple, though I do think his telling me he prayed had a
little to do with it. It's rather pleasant to think there's two to pray
for me now, Adah and Sam. I wonder if it makes any difference with God
that one prayer is white and the other black? Golden Hair said it didn't
when we talked about the negroes," and shutting the Bible, Hugh was
about to put it up when something whispered of his resolution to
commence reading it through.