“And did Mark say nothing more than that?” inquired Mrs. Jennings; thinking that Hasty, like any other wife, would endeavor to hide her husband’s faults.

“No, missus, dat was every ting he said, and just went away and got de carriage round for Massa Nelson to go to church.  Well, de next mornin’ Massa Nelson told him to put on his coat and follow him, and he toted him down to old M’Affee’s pen, and sold him to go down some river way down South; and I have cum dis mornin’,” she said, looking up inquiringly into Mrs. Jennings’s face, “to see if you, Missus, or Massa Jennings, wouldn’t do something for him.”

“Well, Hasty, I’m sorry, very sorry for you,” said Mrs. Jennings; “but don’t be down-hearted; I will postpone going East this week, and see what can be done for you; and if my husband can’t buy Mark, he probably knows some one who wants a trusty servant, such as I know Mark to be.  However, Hasty, you may be assured that I will do all in my power to prevent your husband from going.”

Hasty dried her tears, and with many thanks took her departure, feeling much comforted by the confident tone with which Mrs. Jennings spoke.

After Hasty had gone, Mrs. Jennings pondered, as she had never before done, on the evil effects of slavery.  She thought of Hasty’s grief, as poignant as would have been her own, had her husband been in Mark’s place, and which had changed that usually bright countenance to one haggard with suffering.  She thought of the father torn from his wife and child; of the child fatherless, though not an orphan; of that child’s future; and as it presented itself to her, she clasped her own little girl closer to her heart, almost fearing that it was to share that future.  Ah! she was putting her “soul in the slave soul’s stead.”

CHAPTER II.

Mrs. Jennings, true to her promise, acquainted Mr. Jennings with the transaction, and entreated him to make an effort immediately to rescue Mark from his fearful doom.

“Well, my dear,” he answered, “it appears that the boy has been impudent, and I don’t know that it would be right for me to interfere, but Mark has always been such a good servant that if I had been his master I would have overlooked it, or at least would not have punished him so severely.  However, I’ll go down to M’Affee and see about him.”

Accordingly, the next morning, he went down to the slave “pen” to see the trader.  He found him at the door of his office, a sleek, smiling, well-dressed man, very courteous and affable, having the appearance of a gentleman.

“Good morning, Mr. Jennings,” said the trader, “what can I do for you to-day?”

“Why, M’Affee, I called down to see about a boy named Mark, one of Nelson’s people.  I heard you had him for sale, and as he is a good sort of a fellow, I wouldn’t mind buying him, if you are reasonable.”

“Want to keep him in St. Louis?” inquired the trader.