for me, I don’t want no slaves.  Every one to his own way.  Reverdy’s father came down from Tennessee too.  He emancipated all his slaves before coming.  He grew to hate slavery.  He brought one old nigger woman with him to Illinois.  She’s here yet, on a farm not more than fifteen miles away.  And Reverdy’s father provided for her, and left a little fortune to Reverdy ... more than $600, and that gives him a start.”

The old lady talked on in this manner without a pause.

Just then Reverdy and Sarah came in.  They had been for a walk.  Sarah had gathered a bouquet of wild flowers.  They took in the scene, evidently divined the subject of our talk.  For Reverdy sat down and began with gentleness to pick up its threads.  “You have been told, James, I hope, that Zoe is not trying to take anything from you.  She will make no fight on your father’s will.” ...  “Will,” I echoed.  “There was a will then?” “Didn’t Mr. Brooks tell you?” ...  He hadn’t told me.  He had scarcely had the opportunity.  But if Zoe had been remembered in the will what was the danger now?  “No, your father was fond of Zoe ... he remembered her; but not to the same extent that he remembered you.  She gets $500 of the estate and you get the rest.  But the hitch is here:  we have eleven lawyers in Jacksonville and another one studying to be a lawyer; this newcomer, Douglas.  And they are as hungry as catfish after a hard winter.  And Mr. Brooks feared that some of these fellows would try to stir up a little business by using Zoe to attack the will, and he thought it was best to get it settled.  He was a good friend of your father’s, liked him, and he wants to see his wishes carried out.  Your father was one of the best of men.  It’s a great loss to the community ... his death.”

But as Zoe was my sister why should she not have some of the land that my father left?  Should her dark skin deprive her of that?  My father had evidently thought so.  But now I could settle the estate by enforcing the will, or I could divide the estate with her equally.  Could I enforce the will after all?  I knew nothing of such things.  I hadn’t asked Mr. Brooks’ advice about anything.  There I sat then going over these matters in my mind, in a kind of weariness and sickness of heart.  I had heard of cases where wills had been rejected for fraud or lack of mind on the part of the maker.  Was it possible that my father’s mind was disturbed?  What fraud could have been wrought upon him?  I, the chief beneficiary, had not influenced him; no one could have done so for me.  What then?

Zoe came in now and began to spread the table.  There was only the one large room downstairs beside the kitchen.  But I loved its comforts, its quaint and substantial furnishings.  All brought from North Carolina originally, Mrs. Spurgeon said.  There were silver spoons, hand wrought; and blue china, and thick blue spreads for the table.  There were three rooms upstairs.  The beds were posters,