At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 76: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AT A GIRL'S MERCY. 65 cordingly, Nina, an’ be’t my room at ha’f-pas’ eight, ennyhow. Doan’ dar’ speak ob it fer yo life.’’ ' Yes,” Nina said, turning the conversation sud- denly, with wonderful self-control, as one of the _ other women came up. When Nina passed on to her work, leaving the two alone, Lola, with a strengthening of her resolu- tion, told the story in a few graphic words, and gained the woman’s consent with little persuasion. “Eit’s better ter be shot than ter slav’ an’ slav’ fer nothin’,”’ she said, stolidly. ‘“Yes, I go wid yo’, Lola. Yo’ ’s kin’ ter ask, w’en yo’ might ’a’ gone wid less trouble by yo’se’f.”’ Lola smiled gravely. | “Et would al’ays a stuck in my min’ an’ spoiled my life ef I’d gon’ ’thout tellin’ yo’ an’ givin’ yo’ a chance,” she said. ‘“‘I’se mighty glad yo’ ’s made up yo’ min’ dis way, Mississippi.’’ _“Et’d be bigger fool’n me ter gib et de go-by,”’ Mississippi said, bitterly. ‘‘Et’s all well ’nough fer dem as wants ter wait fer Mr. Linkum ter git ’em free, fer git ’em free he will, but ef we’s got a chance ter git way now, we’s powerfw’ big fools as wants ter stay.’’ “I ain’t feared o’ yo’ backin’ out,’’ Lola said, laughing softly. ‘‘I hop’ de odders’ll on’y be reddy.” _ “Wat odders?” asked Mississippi. ‘I tho’t yo’ tole me yo’ tell no one ’bout et fer fear 0’ gettin’ cotched, fer yo’ kno’ ef dey cotch us dey shoot us like a passel o’ dawgs. Dey had dere eye on us long time, an’ we’d be got outen de way powerfw’ sud- den ef we is cotchea, Lola. Dey nebber ’low us ter git “way ef dey kin help et.’’ | ‘*I tole yo’ dere odders goin’,’’ Lola said, quietly. Gomichboo S) (E(0) mn