“Eudora, aged 20,” I tole him.  “Put the same on the stun,” he said.  He tole me I was to stay on de place, an’ have all I made.  Then thar was Mandy Ann, who ’longed to de lil chile.  She was to stay hyar, he said, an’ he’d pay her wage which she could keep herself.  He’d settle wid de lil chile when de time come, an’ set Mandy Ann free.  I think he meant it, but he was spar’d de trouble, for de wah corned like a big broom an’ swep’ slavery away, an’ mos’ everyting souf wid it, an’ Mandy Ann was free any way widout de Colonel.

“‘After de chile went away I got to broodin’ over Miss Dory’s wrongs, till I’se so worked up agin de Colonel, dat when de wah broke out I was minded to ‘list, hopin’ I’d meet him somewhar in battle an’ shoot him.  Den I cooled down an’ staid home an’ raised things an’ worked for de poor folks hyar,—­de women, whose husban’s an’ brudders had gone to de wah.  Ted,—­dat’s de boy on de “Hatty” long ago,—­went to de wah wid a great flourish, promisin’ Mandy Ann he’d shoot the Colonel shu’ ef he got a chance.  An’ what do you think?  At de fust crack of de cannon in de fust battle he seen, he cut an’ run, an’ kep’ on runnin’ till he got hyar, beggin’ me an’ Mandy Ann to hide him, ’case he was a deserter.  I held my tongue, an’ let Mandy Ann do as she pleased, an’ she hid him till de Federals come, when he jined them, an’ did get hit, but ’twas on de back or shoulder, showin’ which way he was runnin’.

“‘Den Mandy Ann married him, an’ has ten chillenses, an’ washes an’ scrubs for de Brock House an’ everybody, while Ted struts roun’ wid a cigar in his mouf, an’ says he has neber seen a well day sense de wah,—­dat his shoulder pains him powerful at times,—­an’ he is tryin’ to get a pension, an’ Mandy Ann is helpin’ him.  Beats all what women won’t do for a man if they love him, no matter how big a skunk he is.  Miss Dory died for one, an’ Mandy Ann is slavin’ herself to deff for one.  I’se mighty glad I’se not a woman.’

“Here Jake stopped a moment, presumably to reflect on the waywardness of Miss Dory and Mandy Ann caring for two skunks,—­one the Colonel and one Ted, whose last name I did not know till I asked Jake, who replied, ‘Hamilton—­a right smart name, I’m told, an’ ’long’d to de quality.  Ole man Hamilton come from de norf somewhar, an’ bought Ted’s mother, a likely mulatto.  Who his fader was I doan know.  He’s more white dan black, an’ is mighty proud of his name,—­Hamilton,—­’case somebody tole him thar was once a big man, Hamilton, an’ when Mandy Ann had twin boys, she was tole to call ’em Alexander an’ Aaron,—­sumptin’,—­I doan justly remember what.  It makes me think of a chestnut.’

“‘Burr,’ I suggested, and he replied, ’Yes, sar, dat’s it,—­Aaron Burr,—­anoder big man,—­an’ dey calls de twins Alex and Aaron.  Fine boys, too, wid Mandy Ann’s get-up in ’em.  Dar’s two mo’ twins,—­little gals; beats all what a woman Mandy Ann is for twins,—­an’ she calls ’em Judy and Dory,—­one